m 


PROPHECIES 

OF  JOSEPH  SMIT 


:HEIB 


FULFILLMENT 

WEPHI  LOWELL  MORRIS 


BANCROFT 

LIBRARY 

Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 
and  their  Fulfillment 


By 
NEPHI  LOWELL  MORRIS 


SALT  LAKE  CITY 

DESERET  BOOK  COMPANY 

1920 


,    . 


Copyright,  1920, 

By  NEPHI   LOWELL   MORRIS. 

All  rights  reserved. 

Published  1920. 


Bancroft  Library 

Preface 

Time — Truth — Triumph 

Joseph  Smith  accepted  the  title  and  assumed  the  office 
of  Prophet.  He  asserted  his  spiritual  leadership,  and 
with  avowed  authority  spoke  in  the  name  of  the  Deity. 
In  addition  to  the  principles  of  revealed  religion  which 
he  promulgated,  he  made  numerous  prophecies.  The 
publication  of  both  places  him  at  the  mercy  of  Time.  It 
is  the  purpose  of  this  publication  to  ascertain  and  dis- 
close the  verdict  which  Time  has  thus  far  rendered. 

Time  is  the  supreme  test  of  a  prophecy.  He  who 
undertakes  to  foretell  events  must  know  that  Time  in  its 
merciless  pursuit  will  find  him  out.  Of  all  the  pretenses 
of  the  false  prophet,  prophesying  is  the  most  hazardous. 
Religious  impostors  often  display  qualities  of  leadership 
in  controlling  the  affairs  of  their  followers.  The  more 
modest  their  pretenses,  however,  the  more  likely  are  they 
to  escape  detection  and  exposure.  But  when  spiritual 
leaders  assume  to  exercise  the  exalted  function  of  proph- 
ecy, and  have  the  courage  to  publish  their  prophecies, 
they  place  their  reputations  before  the  bar  of  the  world, 
and  as  the  weight  of  Time  presses  out  the  vintage  of  the 
centuries  they  must  sink  to  a  deserving  oblivion  or  be 
exalted  to  a  place  in  the  skies.  Time  is  a  foe  of  Fraud, 
but  the  never-failing  friend  of  Truth. 

Now  that  the  claims  of  Joseph  Smith  as  prophet  have 
been  set  up  before  the  world  for  a  century,  it  is  proper 
that  the  verdict  of  Time  should  be  ascertained.  To  dis- 
close these  findings,  this  small  volume  is  given  out. 
Only  a  few  of  the  well-known  prophecies  are  here  con- 
sidered. 


iv  Preface 

Early  prints  and  old  and  forgotten  manuscripts  have 
been  examined  with  the  intent  to  establish,  without  bias, 
the  truth  with  respect  to  the  claims  of  the  Prophet.  Such 
first-hand  evidence  as  has  been  discovered  is  laid  before 
the  reader.  Originals,  wherever  possible,  are  submitted. 
This  testimony  is  highly  important  for  the  reason  that 
Joseph  Smith,  as  prophet,  must  stand  or  fall  with  the 
outcome. 

Thomas  Hartwell  Home  says: 

"Prophecy  is  a  miracle  of  knowledge,  a  declara- 
tion, or  representation  of  something  future,  beyond 
the  power  of  human  sagacity  to  discern  or  to  calcu- 
late, and  it  is  the  highest  evidence  that  can  be  given 
of  supernatural  communion  with  the  Deity,  and  the 
truth  of  a  revelation  from  God. 

.  .  .  "The  man  who  reads  a  prophecy  and  per- 
ceives the  corresponding  event  is  himself  a  witness  of 
the  miracle." 

Therefore  all  who  read  these  prophecies  and  see  the 
corresponding  events  become  witnesses  to  the  miracle. 

We  here  acknowledge  the  very  kind  and  helpful  offices 
of  Elders  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  and  Orson  F.  Whitney, 
a  committee  appointed  by  the  First  Presidency,  who  have 
read  the  manuscript  and  have  made  suggestions  leading 
to  its  improvement.  We  also  wish  to  express  our  appre- 
ciation to  the  publishers  who  have  given  every  aid  in  the 
matter  of  getting  out  the  book.  Without  their  encour- 
agement it  is  probable  that  a  sermon  would  never  have 
grown  into  the  printed  volume. 


Contents 

The  Great  Prophecy  on  War 1 

A  Mighty  People  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 52 

America — the  Cradle  of  Humanity 106 

The  Prophecy  Regarding  Stephen  A.  Douglas Ill 

Book  of  Mormon — A  Prophecy 125 

Orson  Hyde  141 

The  Date  of  Birth  and  Crucifixion  of  the  Lord 153 

Two  Expulsions  from  Jackson  County,  Missouri 180 

Conclusion   191 

Appendix — Prayer  of  Orson  Hyde  on  the  Mount  of 
Olives   193 

Illustrations  and  Reproductions 

Volume  One  "A,"  Original  Manuscript  History  of 

the  Church  viii 

"The  Pearl  of  Great  Price"— Edition  of  1851 8 

The  Revelation   on   War,   as   it  Appeared   in   "The 

Pearl  of  Great  Price,"  published  in  1851 9 

The   Revelation   on   War,   as  it   appeared   in   "The 

Seer,"  published  in  1854 11 

Facsimile  of  the  Ordinance  of  Secession,  from  the 

Charleston    "Mercury" 25 

Facsimile  of  the  Confederate  Constitution 31 

Secession  Banner  displayed  in  the  South  Carolina 

Convention  33 

The  Prophecy  on  War,  photographed  from  Volume 

One  "A,"  Manuscript  History  of  the  Church 41 

Prophecy  concerning  the  Saints  becoming  "a  mighty 

people  in  the  midst  of  the  Rocky   Mountains," 

from  the  "Deseret  News,"  1855 57 


vi  Contents 

Opening  page  of  Anson  Call's  Journal,  commenced 
in  1839  72 

Anson  Call's  diary  of  the  prophecy  foretelling  Lat- 
ter-day Saints  becoming  a  mighty  people  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  73 

Tribute  to  the  State  of  Utah  with  respect  to  its 
Educational  Laws,  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Winship 89 

Latter-day  Saints'  Temple,  Salt  Lake  City 98 

Latter-day  Saints'  Temple  at  Laie,  Oahu,  Hawaii....     99 

Prophecy  concerning  Saints  being  out  of  the  power 
of  their  "old  enemies,"  from  the  "Deseret  News," 
1857  104 

Prophecy  concerning  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  from 
"Deseret  News,"  1856  113,  115 

Editorial  comment  of  the  "Deseret  News"  on  the 
famous  speech  of  Douglas,  on  the  "Mormon" 
question  118,  119 

Prophecy  concerning  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  from 
"Millennial  Star,"  1859  ..  .  122 

Letter  of  Orson  Hyde,  addressed  to  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  123 

Photograph  of  "Millennial  Star,"  containing  Orson 
Hyde's  prophecy  concerning  the  re-garthering  of 
the  Jews  146 

General  Allenby  at  the  Head  of  British  Troops  En- 
tering Jerusalem,  December  11,  1917 148 


TO   THE   MEMORY   OF 

JOSEPH  SMITH 

WITH   REVERENTIAL  LOVE 

"Turned  from  the  reed  that,  breaking,  disappoints 
The  fool  that  takes  it  for  the  oak;  and  turning 
On  the  arm,  by  which  suspended  worlds  hang 
Innumerous;  and  eye  upturned  to  where 
The  sun  ne'er  sets,  where  flows  the  font  of  life, 
Beneath  the  throne  of  God,  unshaken  he  stood 
By  al]  that  earth  could  do.' 


Volume  One  "A",  Original  Manuscript  History  of  the  Church, 
written  under  the  direction  of  Joseph  Smith,  by  his  secretaries, 
during  his  life  and  ministry.  Dimensions,  14  by  9^/2  by  2%  inches. 
Bound  in  sheep  skin. 


Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 
and  their  Fulfillment 


The  Great  Prophecy  on  War 

"For  nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom 
against  kingdom:  and  there  shall  be  famines,  and  pesti- 
lences, and  earthquakes,  in  divers  places 

And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all 
the  world  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations;  and  then  shall 
the  end  come." — Matt.  24:7,  14. 


1.  Verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  concerning  the  wars 
that  will  shortly  come  to  pass,  beginning  at  the  rebellion 
of  South  Carolina,  which  will  eventually  terminate  in 
the  death  and  misery  of  many  souls. 

2.  The  days  will  come  that  war  will  be  poured  out  up- 
on all  nations,  beginning  at  that  place; 

3.  For  behold,  the  Southern   States   shall   be   divided 
against  the  Northern  States,  and  the  Southern  States  will 
call  on  other  nations,  even  the  nation  of  Great  Britain, 
as  it  is  called,  and  they  shall  also  call  upon  other  nations, 
in  order  to  defend  themselves  against  other  nations;  and 
then  war  shall  be  poured  out  upon  all  nations. 

6.  And  thus,  with  the  sword,  and  by  bloodshed,  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth  shall  mourn;  and  with  famine,  and 


Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


plague,  and  earthquake,  and  the  thunder  of  heaven,  and 
the  fierce  and  vivid  lightning  also,  shall  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth  be  made  to  feel  the  wrath,  and  indignation 
and  chastening  hand  of  an  Almighty  God." — Joseph 
Smith. 

The  importance  of  this  revelation  and  prophecy  is  of 
{he  greatest  magnitude.  It  was  given  to  Joseph  Smith 
nearly  a  century  ago.  Because  of  the  remoteness  of  the 
period,  few,  perhaps,  will  associate  it  with  the  affairs  of 
the  time.  A  slight  review  of  that  period  will  give  this 
prophecy  its  proper  historical  relationship.  It  is  not  a 
disconnected  occurrence.  It  is  rationally  rooted  in  cir- 
cumstance. The  circumstances  are  these:  Animosity  and 
bitterness  arose  between  the  people  of  the  North  and  the 
people  of  the  South.  Industrial  rivalries  and  conflicting 
opinions  relative  to  slavery  began  to  breed  ill-will  and 
the  seeds  of  disunion  were  sown  broadcast.  Federal  legis- 
lation on  matters  affecting  Southern  industries  intensi- 
fied this  conflict  until  a  distinct  line  of  cleavage  began  to 
develop  between  the  North  and  the  South.  Great  excite- 
ment was  created  over  the  "Nullification  Act"  of  South 
Carolina.  The  tongue  of  sectional  strife  became  articu- 
late in  the  furious  quarrel  which  followed  this  act. 

"Congress  passed  an  act  in  the  Spring  of  1832,  im- 
posing additional  duties  on  imported  goods,  and 
South  Carolina  was  especially  indignant.  A  conven- 
tion, held  on  the  19th  of  November,  and  presided 
over  by  her  governor,  declared  that  the  tariff  acts 
were  unconstitutional  and  therefore  of  no  effect. 
The  people  asserted  that  the  duties  should  not  be 
paid  and  that  any  attempt  of  the  government  to  col- 
lect them  would  be  forcibly  resisted,  followed  by  the 
withdrawal  of  South  Carolina  from  the  Union. 


And  Their  Fulfillment 


The  following  legislature  commended  this  action. 
.  .  .  The  President  (Jackson)  swore  with  custom- 
ary emphasis  that  the  Union  should  be  preserved, 
and  that  he  would  hang  'as  high  as  Haman'  any  and 
every  one  who  dared  to  raise  his  hand  against  it.  He 
threatened  the  arrest  of  Vice-President  Calhoun,  who 
resigned  his  office  and  went  home  to  South  Carolina, 
from  which  he  was  returned  as  a  United  States  Sen- 
ator. The  President  issued  a  proclamation  on  the 
10th  day  of  December,  denying  the  right  of  a  state  to 
nullify,  or  declare  inoperative,  any  act  of  Congress, 
and  warned  those  concerned.  ...  He  begged  the 
people  to  sustain  him,  etc.  .  .  .  His  appeal  was 
thrown  away  on  'Carolina,  child  of  the  Sun.'  Her 
governor  was  authorized  to  accept  services  of  volun- 
teers; new  arms  were  bought;  fortifications  were  re- 
paired; and  the  young  men  were  drilled.  .  .  .  The 
Star-Spangled  Banner  was  displayed  Union  down, 
and  a  flag  was  made  ready  to  take  its  place  as  soon 
as  secession  should  be  proclaimed."-  -"Ellis's  His- 
tory," Vol.  3,  p.  74,4. 

In  this  very  year,  a  distinguished  visitor  from  France 
prophesied  the  "inevitable  separation"  of  the  North  and 
South."  Something  resembling  this  prediction  is  said  to 
have  been  made  by  the  celebrated  English  novelist, 
Charles  Dickens,  who  visited  this  country  about  ten  years 
later.  Muzzey  says  of  the  feeling  that  characterized  the 
two  sections  at  this  period :  "It  was  apparently  the  honest 
conviction  of  the  Northerners  that  every  man  south  of 
Mason  and  Dixon's  line  was  a  Preston  Brooks,1  and  of 


1  Preston  Brooks,  Senator  from  South  Carolina,  became  so  en- 
raged over  a  speech  delivered  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate  by  Sen- 
ator Sumner,  which  was  characterized  by  scathing  invective  and 
furious  denunciation  of  the  "slave-holding  aristocrats,"  that  he, 


Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


Southerners  that  every  man  north  of  the  line  was  a  John 
Brown.2  Mr.  Russell,  the  correspondent  of  the  London 
Times,  found  that  on  one  side  of  the  Ohio  River  he  was 
among  "abolitionists,  cut  throats,  Lincolnites,  mercen- 
aries, invaders,  assassins,"  and  on  the  other  side  among 
"rebels,  robbers,  conspirators,  wretches  bent  on  destroy- 
ing the  most  perfect  government  on  the  face  of  the 
earth."  He  testified  that  there  was  less  vehemence  and 
bitterness  among  the  Northerners,  but  no  less  deter- 
mination." 

Allusion  to  this  disquieting  situation  is  made  in  the 
chapter  of  Church  history  which  contains  the  above  rev- 
elation and  prophecy,  thus: 

"The  United  States,  with  all  her  pomp  and  great- 
ness, was  threatened  with  immediate  dissolution.  The 
people  of  South  Carolina,  in  convention  assembled 
(in  November),  passed  ordinances,  declaring  their 
state  a  free  and  independent  nation;  and  appointed 
Thursday,  the  first  day  of  January,  1833,  as  a  day  of 
humiliation  and  prayer,  to  implore  Almighty  God  to 
vouchsafe  his  blessings,  and  restore  liberty  and  hap- 
piness within  their  borders.  President  Jackson  is- 
sued his  proclamation  against  this  rebellion,  called 
out  a  force  sufficient  to  quell  it,  and  implored  the 
blessings  of  God  to  assist  the  nation  to  extricate  itself 
from  the  horrors  of  the  approaching  and  solemn 
crisis." 


two  days  later,  when  Sumner  was  bending  over  his  desk  at  work, 
beat  him  almost  to  death  with  a  heavy  gutta-percha  cane.  Sum- 
ner's  brilliant  powers  were  permanently  impaired  by  this  assault, 
which  finally  resulted  in  his  death.  A  motion  to  expel  Brooks 
failed  for  lack  of  the  necessary  two-thirds  vote.  He  was  later  re- 
elected  to  the  Senate  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote  from  his  dis- 
trict in  South  Carolina. 

2John  Brown  of  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  Harper's  Ferry  fame. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  5 

In  a  debate  between  Webster  and  Hayne  on  the  tariff 
question,  Mr.  Webster  said: 

"While  the  Union  lasts  we  have  high,  exciting, 
gratifying  prospects  spread  out  before  us  for  us  and 
our  children.  Beyond  that  I  seek  not  to  penetrate  the 
veil.  God  grant  that,  in  my  day,  at  least,  that  curtain 
may  not  rise.  God  grant  that  on  my  vision  never 
may  be  opened  what  lies  behind!  When  my  eyes 
shall  be  turned  to  behold  for  the  last  time  the  sun  in 
heaven,  may  I  not  see  him  shining  on  the  broken  and 
dishonored  fragments  of  a  once  glorious  union,  on 
states  dissevered,  discordant,  beligerent;  on  a  land 
rent  with  civic  feuds;  or  drenched,  it  may  be,  in  fra- 
ternal blood." 

Joseph  Smith  says  that  while  he  was  earnestly  pray- 
ing on  December  25,  1832,  relative  to  these  threatening 
occurrences,  a  voice  declared  to  him  "that  the  com- 
mencement of  the  difficulties  which  will  cause  much 
bloodshed  .  .  .  will  be  in  South  Carolina."  (See 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  p.  461.) 

A  state  of  rebellion  actually  existed  in  South  Carolina 
at  the  very  time  the  prophecy  was  made.  War,  however, 
did  not  break  out  until  more  than  twenty-eight  years 
later. 

Great  importance  naturally  attaches  to  the  date  of  the 
publication  of  this  remarkable  prophecy.  It  is  true  that  it 
was  not  published  in  the  earlier  editions  of  the  Doctrine 
and  Covenants.  That  may  also  be  said  of  other  revela- 
tions now  printed  in  that  book.  It  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  prove  the  publication  of  this  prophecy  a  reason- 
able time  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  to  estab- 
lish satisfactorily  the  genuineness  and  force  of  the  proph- 


Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


ecy.     Fortunately  we  have  incontrovertible  evidence  to 
submit  on  those  two  points. 

On  August  26,  1876,  in  the  "New  Tabernacle,"  Orson 
Pratt,  in  speaking  on  the  prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith  and 
their  fulfillment,  said: 

"I  might  well  mention  another  prophecy,  which 
was  printed  in  several  languages,  and  published 
among  the  various  nations  in  whose  language  it  was 
printed,  which  was  twenty-eight  years  reaching  ful- 
filment. The  Lord  revealed  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  that  there  would  be  a  great  rebellion  between 
the  Northern  and  Southern  States,  commencing  in  the 
State  of  South  Carolina,  and  that  it  would  terminate 
in  the  death  and  misery  of  many  souls.  This,  as  you 
all  know,  has  been  literally  fulfilled.  When  I  was  a 
boy,  I  traveled  extensively  in  the  United  States  and 
the  Canadas,  preaching  this  restored  gospel.  I  had  a 
manuscript  copy  of  this  revelation,  which  I  carried 
in  my  pocket,  and  I  was  in  the  habit  of  reading  it  to 
the  people  among  whom  I  traveled  and  preached. 
As  a  general  thing  the  people  regarded  it  as  the 
height  of  nonsense,  saying  the  Union  was  too  strong 
to  be  broken;  and  I,  they  said,  was  led  away,  the 
victim  of  an  imposter.  .  .  .  Year  after  year 
passed  away  while  every  little  while  some  of  the  ac- 
quaintances I  had  formerly  made  would  say:  'Well, 
what  is  going  to  become  of  that  prediction?  It's 
never  going  to  be  fulfilled.'  Said  I,  'The  Lord  has 
his  time  set.'  By  ard  by  it  came  along,  and  the  first 
battle  was  fought  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina." 

The  first  printed  publication  of  this  important  reve- 
lation and  prophecy  occurred  in  the  year  1851,  just  ten 
years  before  the  Civil  War  began.  If,  for  the  sake  of 


And  Their  Fulfillment 


argument,  the  date  of  its  origin  was  forced  down  to  that 
year,  it  stands  as  an  unquestioned  inspiration  or  revela- 
tion, for  it  is  absolutely  beyond  the  power  of  human  in- 
telligence to  foretell  with  such  extraordinary  exactness 
events  ten  years  distant.  Dickens,  DeTocqueville,  and 
Alexander  H.  Stephens  may  have  predicted  an  "inevita- 
ble separation,"  "bloodshed"  and  "war,"  but  Joseph 
Smith  in  this  prophecy  declared  where  it  should  begin, 
described  the  magnitude  of  the  wars  and  defined  the  pre- 
cise nature  of  the  conflict,  viz.,  the  rebellion  of  the  South 
against  the  North,  with  other  features  of  the  most  spe- 
cific character.  To  appreciate  the  magnitude  of  this 
"miracle  of  knowledge"  let  any  living  person  undertake 
to  describe  or  foretell  events  thirty,  or  even  ten  years 
distant.  It  is  humanly  impossible.  Much  more  so  is  it 
to  foretell  occurrences  of  a  most  extraordinary  character. 
This  is  exactly  what  Joseph  Smith  did,  under  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  Almighty  God.  The  publication  in  which 
this  prophecy  first  appeared  was  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price, 
a  small  volume  containing  other  authoritative  writings 
of  Joseph  Smith,  and  was  published  by  Franklin  D.  Rich- 
ards in  Liverpool,  England,  at  15  Wilton  St.;  the  pre- 
face is  dated  July  llth,  1851.  (See  photographic  repro- 
duction of  the  title  page  of  this  book,  also  a  reproduction 
of  the  Revelation  itself,  taken  from  page  35  of  same.) 

In  volume  13,  Millennial  Star,  under  date  of  July  15, 
1851,  an  advertisement  of  this  book  appears  as  follows: 

"Pearl  of  Great  Price,  is  the  title  of  a  new  book 
which  will  soon  be  ready  for  sale,  containing  64 
pages  on  beautiful  paper  of  superior  quality,  and 
on  new  type  of  a  larger  size  than  any  heretofore  is- 
sued from  this  office.  It  contains  .... 

"A  Revelation  given  December,  1832,  which  has 
never  before  appeared  in  print." 


THE 


PEARL  OF  GEE  AT  PRICE; 


CHOICE    SELECTION 


REVELATIONS,  TRANSLATIONS,  AND  NARRATIONS 


JOSEPH  SMITH, 


FIRST    PROPHET,    SEER,    AND    REVELATOR    TO    THE    CHURCH    OF    JESUS   CHRIBT 
OF   LATTER-DAT    SAINTS. 


•LIVERPOOL: 
PUBLISHED  BY  F.  D.  RICHARDS,  15,  WILTON  STREET. 

.  1851. 

The  Revelation  on  War  appeared  first  in  print  in  this  publication. 


.; 


35 


. — We  are  to  understand  that  it  was  a  mission,  and  an  ordinance,  for  him 
gather  the  tribes  of  Israel ;  behold,  this  is  Ellas  ;  who,  as  it  is  written,  must 
come  and  restore  all  tilings. 

Q. — What  is  to  be  understood  by  tfce  two  witnesses,  in  the  eleventh  chap- 
ter of  Revelations  ? 

A. — They  are  two  Prophets  that  are  to  be  raised  up  to  the  Jewish  Nation 
in  the  la<it  days,  nt  the  time  of  the  restoration,  and  to  prophesy  to  the  Jews. 
after  they  are  gathered,  and  build  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  in  the  land  of  their 
father?* 


A    REVELATION    AND    PROPHECY    BY    THE    PROPHET,    SEF.R,    AND  .  . 

•JOSEPH    SMITH. 

Given  December  2ulA,    1834. 

"  VERILY  thus  saith  the  Lord,  concerning  the  wars  that  will  shortly  como  to 
pass,  beginning  at  the  rebellion  of  South  Carolina,  which  will  eventually  ter- 
minate in  the  death  and  misery  of  many  souls.  The  days  will  come  that  wai" 
will  be  poured  out  upon  all  nations,  beginning  at  that  place  ;  for  behold,  the 
Southern  States  shall  be  divided  against  the  Northern  States,  and  the  South- 
ern States  will  call  on  other  nations,  even  the  nation  of  Great  Britain,  as  it  is 
called,  and  they  shall  also  call  upon  other  nations,  in  order  to  defend  them- 
selves against  other  nations  ;  and  thus  war  shall  be  poured  out  upon  all  na- 
tions. And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  after  many  days,  slaves  shall  rise  up  against 
their  Masters,  who  shall  be  marshalled  and  disciplined  for  war :  And  it  shall 
come  to  pass  also,  that  the  remnants  who  are  left  of  the  land  will  marshall 
themselves,  and  shall  become  exceeding  angry,  and  shall  vex  the  Gentiles 
with  a  sore  vexation ;  and  thus,  with  the  sword,  and  by  bloodshed,  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  earth  shall  mourn  ;  and  with  famine,  and  plague,  and  earth- 
quakes, and  the  thunder  of  Heaven,  and  the  fierce  and  vivid  lightning  also, 
shall  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  ^  be  made  to  feel  the  wrath,  and  indignation 
and  chastening  hand  of  an  Almighty  God,  until  the  consumption  decreed, 
hath  made  a  full  end  of  all  nations  ;  that  the  cry  of  tho  Saints,  and  of  the 
blood  of  ths  Saints,  shell  cease  to  comu  up  into  the  ears  of  tbe  Lord  of  Sab- 
baoth,  from  the  earth,  to  be  avengad  of  their  enemies.  Wherefore,  stand  ye 
in  holy  places,  and  be  rot  moved,  until  the  day  of  the  Lord  come  ;  for  behold 
it  cemeth  quickly,  saith  the  Lord.  Amen," 


D  V> 

A  photograph  of  the  Revelation  on  War  taken  from  the  Pearl  of 
Great  Price,  published  in  Liverpool,  1851, 


10  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

The  Pearl  of  Great  Price  was  thereafter  distributed 
throughout  the  entire  civilized  world.  The  Millennial 
Star  also  had  a  world-wide  circulation  and  in  this  way 
the  Revelation  on  War  was  committed  to  the  "immortal 
custody  of  the  press." 

References  to  it  thereafter  appear  in  all  the  literature 
of  the  Church.  It  became  the  property  of  the  public 
from  the  day  it  left  the  precss  at  Liverpool.  To  publish 
an  edition  at  a  subsequent  time  with  a  false  imprint 
would  be  folly  in  the  extreme. 

In  the  year  1857,  Orson  Pratt  published  the  first  edi- 
tion of  the  "Compendium"  of  the  Faith  and  Doctrines  of 
the  Church.  It  was  printed  in  Liverpool,  and  was  written 
by  Franklin  D.  Richards.  Under  every  heading,  chapter 
by  chapter,  references  arc  systematically  made  to  the 
Bible,  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, and  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price.  Thus,  the  book  con- 
taining this  Prophecy  is  at  once  recognized  as  a  stand- 
ard work  of  the  Church  and  has  continued  to  be  so 
recognized  from  1851  to  this  day. 

In  the  year  1854,  this  Prophecy  was  reprinted  in  The 
Seer,3  with  reference  to  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price  .as  its 
source.  (See  reproduction  of  this  article.)  The  Revela- 
tion agrees  perfectly  with  the  original  publication.  This 
gives  us  four  publications  of  world-wide  circulation,  as 
irrefutable  testimony  to  the  existence  of  this  great  Proph- 
ecy all  the  way  from  three  to  ten  years  prior  to  the  out- 
break of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  as  Joseph  Smith 
called  it. 

The  late  President  George  Q.  Cannon,  in  speaking  of 
this  matter  said: 


3 The  Seer  was  a  monthly  periodical  that  was  edited  by  Orson 
Pratt,  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  published  by  Samuel  W.  Rich- 
ards, then  presiding  over  the  British  Mission.  It  first  appeared  in 
January,  1853,  and  continued  for  a  few  years. 


5f  888S 


ALL    ¥K    I.VHAISiTX 

TO 

A    II  F. \  1. 1.  AT      •  .     . 


WUKN     HI! 


APRIL,  1S54. 


-  Veri 

cerning  th 
to  pass.  IM 
South  Ca 

war  \\il!  1 
tion- 


:d   '.nit 


at  that  pla-e  :  for 
behold,  tin;  S.Aiih'  PI  States  sluill  bo 
divided  against  the  Northern  States  ; 
and  the  Southern  States  will  call  on 
other  nations,  even  the  nation  of  (.ireat 
Britain,  as  it  is  called,  and  they  shall 
als;>  c:,]]  up.  n  other  nations  in  order 
5  against  other  na- 
i^  war  shall  bo  poured 
nations.  And  it  shall 
al't»T  manv  days,  slaves 
;j«*uinst  their  blasters, 
marshalled  and  discip- 
Aiid  it  shall  come  to 
pass  also,  that  the  remnants  who  are 
left  of  the  land  will  marshal  them- 
selves, and  shall  become  exceeding 
angry,  and  shall  vex  the  Gentiles  with 
u  sore  \e\ation.  And  thus,  with  the 
Mvord,  and  by  bloodshed,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  earth  shall  mourn  ;  and 
with  famine,  and  plague,  and  earth- 
quakes, and  the  thunder  of  heaven, 
and  the  iicree  and  vivid  lightning  also, 


tod 
tion 

out 

com 

shall   rise    u( 

who  shall   I). 

lined  for  war 


j  shall  the  inhabitants   of  the  earth  bo  ; 
I  made  to  feel  the  wrath,  ami  indigna  - 
|  tion,  and   chastening   hand  of  an  Al- 
mighty God,  until  the   consumption 
divrcnl  hath  made  a  full  end  of  all 
nations  ;    that  the  cry  of  the  Saints, 
and  of  the  blood  of  Saints,  *bull  reiiso 
in  come  up  into   the  ears  of  the  Lord 
of    Sahaoth,    from    the   earth,    to    bo 
a\  enged  of  their  enemies.   Wherefore,  ' 
stand  ye  in  holy  places,  and  be  not 
moved,  until  the  day  of  the  Lord  come ;  I 
for  behold,  it  corneth  quickly,  saith  the 
Lord.   Amen."   (Pearl  of  Great  Price* 
page  'Jo.) 

The   above   revelation    was    given  I 
twenty-one  years  ago  last  Christmas.  ; 
We  learn  by  this,  some  particulars  in  i 
regard  to  the  nature  of  that  universal 
war  which  is  soon  to  deluge  $1  the 
nations  and  kingdoms   of  the  earth 
The  iirst  indication  of  this  fearful  ca 
lamity  was  to  begin  in  the  rebellion  of  , 
South  Carolina.     The  revelation  does  \ 
not  inform  us  that  the  first  symptom 
of  this  rebellion  would   exhibit   any 
thing  very  alarming  in  its  appearance . 
but  says,  that  it  "  if  III  ettntualty  tcr.~- 
minate  in  the  death  ami  miser)/  qfttwny 
xottlt."    *k  Eventually)' (not  directly  or 
immediately,)  shcpld  the  rebellion -of 


The  above  periodical  re-published  the  Revelation  on  War  with 
reference  to  its  source. 


12  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

"I  recollect  very  well  that  in  the  fall  of  1860,  while 
going  to  England,  we  were  invited  at  Omaha  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  people  of  that  city.  A  good 
many  of  the  leading  citizens  procured  the  Court 
House  for  us,  and  Brother  Pratt  preached.  By  re- 
quest I  read  the  Revelation  given  through  Joseph 
Smith  on  the  25th  of  December,  1832,  respecting 
the  secession  of  the  Southern  States.  It  created  a 
great  sensation,  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
having  just  been  consummated,  and  it  being  well 
known  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  feeling  in  the 
South  in  relation  to  it.  A  great  many  people  came 
forward  and  examined  the  book  from  which  the 
Revelation  was  read  to  see  the  date,  to  satisfy  them- 
selves that  it  was  rot  a  thing  of  recent  manufacture. 
The  Revelation  was  in  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price  which 
was  published  in  1851." 

To  the  testamentary  of  these  well  known  publications, 
to  that  of  these  well  known  men  of  highest  probity  and 
standing  we  here  introduce  the  testimony  of  three  men, 
still  alive,  and  of  the  highest  integrity,  and  intelligence, 
and  of  prominence  in  various  lines  of  public  service. 

LETTER  OF  PRESIDENT  ANTHON  H.  LUND. 

"The  First  Presidency  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints. 

"Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  April  13,  1920. 
"President  Nephi  L.  Morris, 
"City. 
"Dear  Brother  Morris:— 

"You  have  asked  me  to  put  in  the  form  of  a  letter 
what  I  know  of  the  publication  of  the  Prophecy  on 
War  given  as  a  revelation  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 


And  Their  Fulfillment  13 

Smith  on  December  25,   1832,  and  now  published 
in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  under  Sec.  87. 

"When  I  was  thirteen  and  a  half  years  old  I  was 
called  to  do  missionary  work  in  Denmark,  my  native 
land.  Because  of  my  membership  in  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  I  had  a  strong  de- 
sire to  learn  the  English  language,  and,  therefore, 
took  private  lessons  in  that  tongue.  Though  I  was 
but  a  youth,  my  familiarity  with  English  fitted  me 
for  missionary  work  in  many  ways. 

"I  remember  distinctly  reading,  in  1858,  the  Pearl 
of  Great  Price  which  was  published  in  Liverpool  in 
1851,  and  would  verbally  translate  the  Prophecy  on 
War,  which  first  appeared  in  that  publication,  to 
the  Danish  Saints  in  their  meetings  as  well  as  in 
private.  I  well  remember  with  what  keen  interest 
we  followed  the  events  that  transpired  some  three 
years  later  when  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  actually 
broke  out. 

"These  dates  are  accurately  fixed  in  my  mind  by 
reason  of  my  having  to  meet  at  school  examination  to 
ascertain  if  I  had  sufficient  knowledge  to  be  allowed 
liberty  from  attending  public  schools  before  I  was 
fourteen  years  of  age. 

"Yours  Very  Truly, 

[Signed]  "ANTHON  H.  LUND." 

LETTER  OF  PRESIDENT  CHARLES  W.  PENROSE. 
THE  REVELATION  ON  WAR. 

"On  the  6th  day  of  January,  in  the  year  1851,  I 
was  ordained  an  Elder  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints,  at  the  Church  office  in  Jewin 
Street,  London,  England,  under  the  hands  of  George 


14  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

B.  Wallace  of  Salt  Lake  City,  then  counselor  to  the 
president  of  the  European  Mission. 

"I  was  sent  as  a  traveling  elder  into  the  County 
of  Essex,  especially  in  the  town  of  Maldon  and  the 
country  surrounding,  where  I  was  successful  in 
preaching  the  restored  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
raising  up  some  branches  of  the  Church.  Later  in 
the  year  I  obtained  a  copy  of  a  paraplet  published 
by  President  Franklin  D.  Richards  at  the  Church  of- 
fices in  Wilton  Street,  Liverpool,  England,  entitled, 
'Pearl  of  Great  Price.'  Among  other  articles  it 
contained  a  Revelation  and  Prophecy  given  through 
Joseph  the  Seer,  on  War,  December  25,  1832. 

"This  reveluation  is  now  contained,  verabtim,  in 
the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  87,  com- 
mencing with  these  words: 

"  'Verily  thus  saith  the  Lord  concerning  the  wars 
that  will  shortly  come  to  pass,  beginning  at  the  re- 
bellion of  South  Carolina,  which  will  eventually 
terminate  in  the  death  a^d  misery  of  many  souls. 
The  days  will  come  that  war  will  be  poured  upon 
all  nations,  beginning  at  that  place.' 

"During  my  labors  of  ten  years  after  obtaining 
that  revelation  I  preached  on  the  subjects  referred 
to  therein  in  various  parts  of  the  British  Isles,  and 
confidently  looked  forward  to  its  fulfillment,  as  I 
had  a  divine  testimony  of  its  truth.  It  became  a 
subject  of  faith  among  the  Latter-day  Saints  every- 
where, and  its  literal  fulfillment  in  after  years  has 
been  cited  as  evidence  that  Joseph  Smith  was  in 
very  deed  a  Prophet  of  God. 

"During  the  period  I  have  mentioned  it  was  pro- 
claimed as  prophecy  on  par  with  divine  predictions 
contained  in  Holy  Scriptures.  I  still  have  the  pam- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  15 

phlet  herein  described,  and  comparison  with  the  sec- 
tion in  the  book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants  shows 
that  the  two  versions  are  identical. 

"I  make  this  statement  to  meet  queries  that  have 
been  raised  concerning  the  matter  by  people  who 
doubt  the  accuracy  of  the  date  c  f  its  first  publication, 
and  I  hereby  declare  with  all  solemnity  before  God 
and  men  that  this  witness  is  true. 

[Signed)  "CHARLES  W.  PENROSE." 

"STATE  OF  UTAH  ) 

COUNTY  OF  SALT  LAKE    ) 

"On  this  seventh  day  of  April,  A.  D.  1920,  before 
me  a  Notary  Public,  personally  appeared  Charles  W. 
Penrose,  known  to  me  to  be  the  same  person  whose 
name  is  subscribed  to  the  foregoing  document,  and 
duly  acknowledged  to  me  that  he  executed  the  same 
and  that  the  statements  therein  contained  are  true 
and  correct. 

"In  Witness  Whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand 
and  affixed  my  Notarial  Seal  the  day  and  year  first 
above  written. 
[Seal]  "ARTHUR  WINTER. 

"Notary  Public:9 

(See  originals  in  Church  Historian's  Office.) 

COPY  OF  SEYMOUR  B.  YOUNG   LETTER. 

"Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
"April  29,  1920. 
"President  Nephi  L.  Morris, 
"21  West  South  Temple, 

"City. 
"DEAR  BROTHER:— 

"Several  years  before  the  first  gun  was  fired  by 


16  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

the  rebels  on  Fort  Sumter,  in  the  Spring  of  1861, 
I  remember  my  attention  being  called  to  the  publi- 
cation of  the  Revelation  on  War  given  through  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  December  25,  1832,  now 
found  recorded  in  the  book  of  Doctrine  and  Cov- 
enants, page  304,  section  87.  .  .  .  The  war 
that  was  shortly  to  come  to  pass  had  its  beginning 
when  the  first  gun  was  fired  on  Fort  Sumter  on  the 
date  above  named.  .  .  .  The  revelation  was 
published  and  given  to  the  world  about  twelve  years 
before  the  Civil  War  began.  Always  and  often  as 
the  allusion  was  made  to  the  coming  war  between 
the  North  and  the  South  we  were  reminded  of  the 
revelation  of  the  Prophet  who  predicted  this  event, 
and  we  never  had  any  doubt  of  its  fulfillment.  .. 
"Respectfully  your  Brother, 

"SEYMOUR  B.  YOUNG." 

There  appears  to  be  absolutely  no  ground  for  doubt 
that  this  Prophecy  was  published  to  the  world  at  least 
ten  years  prior  to  the  occurrence  of  the  beginning  of 
events  it  foretells.  And  it  was  subsequently  printed 
numerous  times  before  the  great  initial  event  foretold 
transpired. 

1.  "Concerning  the  wars  that  will  shortly  come  to 
pass." 

With  the  war  record  of  the  nations  of  the  earth  in 
mind  one  could  almost  predict  war  for  any  time  in  the 
future  without  seriously  missing  it.  War,  in  greater 
or  lesser  degree,  has  almost  been  perpetual  since  or- 
ganized governments  began.  This  Revelation,  how- 
ever, made  known  the  coming  of  a  series  of  wars,  of 
which  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  was  to  be  the  beginning. 
In  naming  South  Carolina  as  the  beginning  place  of  the 


And  Their  Fulfillment  17 

first  of  the  series  of  wars  it  becomes  remarkably  spe- 
cific. The  declaration  includes  a  European  war  which 
was  to  be  subsequent  to  the  American  war.  More  than 
twenty -eight  years  after  the  prophecy  was  made,  the  first 
great  conflict  actually  occurred,  precisely  as  foretold. 
Then  a  half-century  passes  by  and  Europe  still  main- 
tains a  "military"  and  "commercial"  peace.  The  Hague 
Tribunal  had  a  glorious  record  of  arbitration  which 
seemed  to  presage  the  end  of  rule  by  might  and  was 
taken,  by  some,  to  be  promise  of  the  reign  of  right  and 
reason  in  the  earth.  Modern  inventions,  compulsory  uni- 
versal training,  great  and  boundless  national  resources, 
military  schools  and  ingenius  inventions  had  made  war 
so  incomparably  destructive  that  economists  began  to 
realize  how  utterly  mad  such  a  war  of  destruction  would 
be.  Inter-nationalists  and  diplomatists  saw  the  disad- 
vantages of  such  a  conflict.  Financiers  saw  the  abso- 
lute ruin  of  wealth  in  terms  that  turned  them  sickened 
from  the  contemplation  of  war.  Peace  societies  carried 
on  a  systematic  propaganda  and  didn't  hesitate  to  as- 
sume to  introduce  the  Millennium. 

"There  will  be  no  war  in  the  future,  for  it  has  become 
impossible  now  that  it  is  clear  that  war  means  suicide," 
wrote  I.  S.  Bloch  in  "The  Future  of  War." 

In  October,  1910,  David  Starr  Jordan,  upon  landing 
from  England,  was  interviewed  by  the  representatives  of 
the  press  on  the  European  situation  where  he  had  been 
lecturing  on  universal  peace.  When  asked  as  to  the 
prospects  of  a  war  over  there  he  said,  "There  is  no  war 
coming."  Continuing,  "As  to  the  prospects  of  a  war  be- 
tween Germany  and  England,  there  is  about  as  much 
chance  of  a  conflict  between  the  United  States  and  Mars. 
.  .  .  The  only  battle  between  England  c.nd  Germany 
will  be  on  paper." 


18  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

And  Mr.  Jordan,  in  his  optimistic  book,  "War 
and  Waste,"  1913,  arrived  at  this  very  comforting  con- 
clusion in  discussing  the  European  situation: 

"What  shall  we  say  of  the  Great  War  of  Europe, 
ever  threatening,  ever  impending,  and  which  never 
comes?  We  shall  say  that  it  will  never  come.  Hu- 
manly speaking,  it  is  impossible. 

"Not  in  the  physical  sense,  of  course,  for  with 
weak,  reckless,  and  Godless  men  nothing  evil  is  im- 
possible. It  may  be,  of  course,  that  some  half-crazed 
arch-duke  or  some  harassed  minister  of  state  shall 
half -knowing  give  the  signal  for  Europe's  conflagra- 
tion. In  fact,  the  agreed  signal  has  been  given  more 
than  once  within  the  last  few  months.  The  tinder 
is  well  dried  and  laid  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  the 
worst  of  this  catastrophe.  All  Europe  cherishes  is 
ready  for  the  burning.  Yet  Europe  recoils  and  will 
recoil  even  in  the  dread  stress  of  spoil-division  of 
the  Balkan  War.  .  .  . 

"But  accident  aside,  the  Triple  Entente  lined  up 
against  the  Triple  Alliance,  we  shall  expect  no  war." 

"The  bankers  will  not  find  the  money  for  such  a 
fight,  the  industries  of  Europe  will  not  maintain  it, 
the  statesmen  cannot.  So  whatever  the  bluster  or 
apparent  provocation,  it  comes  to  the  same  thing  in 
the  end.  There  will  be  no  general  war  until  the 
masters  direct  the  fighters  to  fight.  The  masters 
have  much  to  gain,  but  vastly  more  to  lose,  and 
their  signal  will  not  be  given." 

While  the  intellectuals  and  the  pacifists  were  thus 
singing  their  soothing  songs  to  a  more  or  less  distracted 
world  that  really  wished  to  be  lulled  into  the  sweet 


And  Their  Fulfillment  19 

dreams  of  a  warless  world,  all  of  a  sudden,  war  clouds 
began  to  gather  over  the  Balkans.  At  that  unsuspecting 
moment  in  the  world's  history,  August  1,  1914,  the  torch 
of  human  wilfulness  was  deliberately  hurled  into  the 
very  magazines  of  European  military  preparedness  and 
in  the  four  years  that  followed  more  than  half  the  world 
was  literally  wrecked.  The  great  cataclysm  has  long 
been  given  the  august  title,  The  World  War.  In  its  fury 
and  destructiveness  all  other  wars  by  comparison  are  as 
events  of  small  moment.  This  war  threatened  civiliza- 
tion. It  taught  the  pacifist  propagadist  that  he  must 
r.ot  only  sing  and  preach  and  pray  for  peace  but  that 
he  really  had  to  fight  for  it.  It  was  a  rude  awakening 
the  world  experienced,  but  it  learned  that  the  word  of 
God  fails  not.  The  prophets  of  old  had  declared  that 
the  men  should  cry  "Peace,  peace,  when  there  was  no 
peace"  and  the  modern  prophet  had  said  "and  war  shall 
be  poured  out  upon  all  nations" 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
marked  the  passing  of  the  old  methods  of  warfare  to  a 
remarkable  extent  and  the  introduction  of  what  we  call 
modern  warfare.  The  wars  that  have  occurred  since 
might  well  be  grouped  by  themselves  as  possessing  dis- 
tinctive characteristics.  They  thereby  fall  in  with  the 
great  prediction  of  Joseph  Smith  in  that  they  are  a  dis- 
tinct group  or  series  of  wars. 

On  this  particular  subject  it  is  interesting  to  read  the 
observations  of  Ambassador  Gerard  in  his  "My  Four 
Years  in  Germany:" 

"I  remember  one  evening  I  was  asked  the  ques- 
tion as  to  what  America  could  do,  supposing  the  al- 
most impossible,  that  America  should  resent  the  re- 
commencement of  ruthless  submarine  warfare  by 
the  Germans  and  declare  war.  I  said  that  nearly  all 


20  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

of  the  great  inventions  used  in  the  war  had  been 
made  by  Americans;  the  very  submarine  which 
formed  the  basis  of  our  discussion  was  an  Ameri- 
can invention;  so  were  the  barbed  wire  and  the  air- 
plaine,  the  ironclad,  the  telephone  and  the  telegraph, 
so  necessary  to  trench  warfare,  and  even  that  meth- 
od of  warfare  had  been  first  developed  on  some- 
thing of  the  present  scale  in  our  Civil  War." 

Mr.  James  H.  Anderson,  in  an  interesting  address  on 
this  subject  makes  the  following  enlightened  observa- 
tions : 

"The  wars  between  1832  [the  year  of  Joseph 
Smith's  prophecy  on  war]  and  the  civil  war  which 
began  in  1861,  possess  no  distinguishing  character- 
istics, such  as  those  wars  do  which  occurred  subse- 
quent to  that  date." 

He   adds: 

"There  was,  however,  a  distinguishing  feature  in- 
dicated for  the  Civil  War  of  1861-4.  It  was  then 
[1862]  that  the  machine  gun  was  brought  forth,  the 
Catling  gun  as  we  know  it,  which  soon  was  adopted 
by  other  civilized  nations.  It  absolutely  revolu- 
tionized warfare  on  land.  This  gun  then  had  a  ca- 
pacity of  firing  350  shots  per  minute,  improved  up- 
on later;  but  it  was  the  beginning  of  new  and  more 
destructive  methods  of  warfare  that  were  unknown 
theretofore." 

He  relates  how  the  revolving  turret  has  since  evolved 
into  our  great  ironclad  gun  boats  which  revolutionized 
warfare  on  sea.  Continuing: 

"The  first  time  a  submarine  was  used  in  war  was  by 


And  Their  Fulfillment  21 

the  Confederates  when  they  went  out  with  the  little 
submarine  David  and  sank  the  Federal  warship 
Housatonic.  It  is  true  the  attacking  vessel  also  was 
sunk,  because  those  in  charge  did  not  observe  the  in- 
structions of  the  builder;  but  this  was  the  beginning 
of  submarine  warfare  nevertheless." 

It  should  be  stated  here  that  not  less  than  twenty-four 
war  vessels  and  transports  were  destroyed  by  the  Con- 
federacy by  means  of  the  torpedo.  Mr.  Anderson  points 
out  how,  in  his  opinion,  the  "tanks"  and  "pill-boxes"  as 
well  as  the  fortresses  of  France  are  little  more  than  the 
perfected  machine  guns  and  turrets  in  combination. 
These  inventions  were  all  introduced  for  the  first  time 
in  the  Civil  War  and  resulted, 'in  their  more  perfected 
form,  in  making  subsequent  wars  incomparably  de- 
structive both  of  human  life  and  property. 

As  a  result  of  these  methods  being  employed  now-a- 
days  war  has  taken  on  a  more  deadly  aspect  than  ever 
before.  The  battles  of  these  times  are  fought  on  the 
ground  and  under  the  ground,  on  the  sea  and  beneath 
the  surface  of  the  sea.  The  heavens  whirr  with  pro- 
jectiles and  engines  of  destruction.  From  the  clouds 
bombs  are  dropped  that  shatter  the  surroundings  where 
they  fall,  including  human  beings  who  are  shattered  in 
mind  and  body.  Bombs  are  dropped  that  not  only  blast, 
but  others  that  spread  deadly  and  flesh  destroying, 
poisonous  gasses  that  blight  and  blind  every  living  thing 
within  their  far-spreading  reach. 

On  the  oceans  deadly  torpedoes  run  scudding  for 
miles  beneath  the  surface  of  the  engulfing  deep  to 
bring  suddenly  beneath  the  dark  waves  their  victims  by 
the  thousands  per  shot.  On  land,  strange,  monster 
"tanks,"  armor-clad,  and  furiously  loud  with  machine 


22  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

£im  and  cannon,  walk  defiantly  into  the  very  ranks  of 
the  enemy  infantry. 

The  poet-prophet  Tennyson  foresaw  the  warfare  of 
these  times  and  in  graceful  verse  depicted  his  vision 
thus: 

"For  I  dipt  into  the  future,  far  as  human  eye  could 

see; 
Saw  the  vision  of  the  world,  and  all  the  wonder  that 

would  be; 

Saw  the  heavens   fill   with   commerce,   argosies   of 

magic  sails, 
Pilots  of  the  purple  twilight,  dropping  down  with 

costly  bales. 

Heard   the   heavens    fill    with   shouting,    and   there 

rained  a  ghastly  dew 
From  the  nations'  airy  navies  grapping  in  the  central 

blue. 

Far  along  the  world-wide  whisper  of  the  south  wind 

rushing  warm, 
And  the  standards  of  the  peoples  plunging  through 

the  thunderstorm; 

'Till  the  war  drum  throbbed  no  longer,  and  the  bat- 
tle flags  were  furled 

In  the  parliament  of  man,  the  federation  of  the 
world." 

2.     "Beginning  at  the  rebellion  of  South  Carolina." 

Before  the  close  of  the  Buchanan  administration, 
South  Carolina  had  seceded.  She  had  seized  property 
of  the  United  States,  consisting  of  public  buildings,  forts 


And  Their  Fulfillment  23 

and  arsenals  within  the  State.  She  had  seized  the  guns 
of  a  United  States  battery  and  had  fired  them  upon  a 
ship  flying  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  Against  these  ac-s 
of  defiant  rebellion  no  protest  was  made  by  the  ad- 
ministration. Following  the  seditious  example  of  South 
Carolina,  six  other  cotton  states  proceeded  to  take  over 
arsenals,  forts,  troops,  and  money  belonging  to  the 
United  States.  And  that,  too,  without  so  much  as  the 
raising  of  a  finger  in  protest  by  the  government.  The 
Confederate  government  received  from  the  state  of 
Louisiana  $536,000  in  coin  which  was  seized  from  the 
United  States  mint  at  New  Orleans.  For  this  beneficent 
contribution  to  the  cause  of  rebellion  a  vote  of  thanks 
was  tendered  the  recalcitrant  state  by  the  government  at 
Montgomery.  These  states  had  thus  possessed  them- 
selves of  $30,000,000  in  property.  Secretaries  Floyd  and 
Thompson,  of  the  Cabinet  were  openly  aiding  the  se- 
cession without  even  a  threat  of  dismissal  by  the  Presi- 
dent. Thirty  years  before,  when  the  first  manifestations 
of  sedition  cropped  out,  President  Buchanan  was  at  the 
embassy  in  St.  Petersburg,  and  Andrew  Jackson  was  in 
the  White  House.  President  Jackson,  in  a  vigorous 
proclamation  went  right  after  South  Carolina  with  a 
threat  to  "hang  as  high  as  Hainan"  any  man  who 
raised  his  hand  against  the  government.  In  a  letter 
to  Buchanan  written  at  that  time  he  said,  "I  have  met 
nullification  at  the  threshold."  No  wonder  the  men  of 
the  North  were  in  1860  exclaiming  "0  for  one  hour  of 
Andrew  Jackson!" 

"The   legislature   of   South   Carolina   was   in    session 
when  the  election  of  Lincoln  was  announced.     It  ha. 
met  to  choose  the  presidential  electors  for  the  state,  (a 
function    elsewhere    performed    by    the    people    at    the 
polls)    and  after  choosir^;  Breckinridge  electors  it  had 


24  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

voted  to  remain  in  session  until  the  result  of  the  election 
was  known,  threatening  to  advise  the  secession  of  the 
state  in  case  the  'Black  Republican'  candidate  were 
successful.  It  now  immediately  called  a  conversion  of 
the  state  to  meet  the  next  month  to  carry  out  its  threat 
of  secession.  On  the  twentieth  of  December  the  con- 
vention met  at  Charleston  and  carried,  by  the  unanimous 
vote  of  its  169  members,  the  resolution  that  'the  Union 
now  subsisting  between  South  Carolina  and  the  other 
states  under  the  name  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
is  hereby  dissolved.'  The  ordinance  of  secesno -i 
was  met  with  demonstrations  of  joy  by  the  people  of 
South  Carolina.  The  city  of  Charleston  was  decked 
with  the  Palmetto  flag  of  the  >tale.  Salvos  of  artillery 
were,  fired,  houses  were  draped  with  blue  bunting,  and 
the  bells  were  rung  in  a  hundred  churches.  The  an- 
cient commonwealth  of  South  Carolina  after  many 
threats  and  warnings,  had  at  last  'resumed  its  po- 
sition as  a  free  and  independent  state.' ' 

At  this  dramatic  crisis  the  government  of  the  coun- 
try passed  over  to  Abraham  Lincoln.  A  rival  govern- 
ment had  been  in  operation  for  about  one  month  when 
Lincoln  made  his  inaugural  address,  March  4,  1861. 


3.     "Beginning  at  South  Carolina." 

Nearly  every  fort  and  arsenal  in  the  South  had 
been  taken  over  by  the  Southern  Confederacy.  Sedi- 
tion had  honeycombed  practically  every  department 
in  Washington.  There  was  a  wide-spread  egress  from 
Congress,  the  executive  departments,  from  federal  of- 
fices, from  army  and  navy  posts,  as  the  men  from 
the  South  departed  hurriedly  to  join  fortunes  with 
their  states.  The  little  garrison  at  Fort  Sumter.  under 


And  Their  Fulfillment  25 

(IllltltSMN 

MERCURY 


EXTRA: 

• — — — 


Alt  ORDUTAJVCB 


OMftfWtal  VIA*  CWMI 


te  *•  otito<  *M  *i-,  »fl  AM  ««  |Mto  *  A*  «  DM 

wop*  in  ii  inrta  <f »«  ^<  n  i  mill  i.  m 


UNION 

iniiifii! 

Facsimile  of  the  Ordinance  of 
Secession 

innijie  at  the  Rebellion  of  South  Carolina." 


26  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

the  heroic  command  of  Major  Robert  Anderson  was 
reduced  to  the  lowest  ebb  with  regard  to  stores. 

The  inaugural  address  is  said  to  be  the  finest  sta'e 
paper  in  history.  In  the  most  solemn  candor  this  tre- 
mendous responsibility  is  placed  at  the  feet  of  the 
men  of  the  South:  "In  your  hands,  my  dissatisfied 
fellow  countrymen,  and  not  in  mine  is  the  momentous 
issue  of  civil  war.  The  government  will  not  assail 
you.  You  can  have  no  conflict  without  yourselves 
being  the  aggressors.  You  have  no  oath  registered  in 
heaven  to  destroy  the  government,  while  7  shall  have 
the  most  solemn  one  to  preserve,  protect  and  defend 
it." 

A  few  days  after  the  address,  President  Lincoln  in- 
formed his  cabinet  of  the  threatening  situation  at 
Charleston.  During  the  closing  days  of  the  Buchanan 
administration  commissioners  appeared  at  the  White 
House  representing  the  "Sovereign  State  of  South  Caro- 
lina" for  the  purpose  of  negotiating  the  transfer  of  the 
forts  in  Charleston  Harbor.  Buchanan  weakly  prom- 
ised not  to  reinforce  the  supplies  of  the  forts  with  the 
assurance  from  South  Carolina  that  she  would  refrain 
from  attacking  them.  Union  sentiment  pressed  so  hard 
that  Buchanan  yielded  to  the  extent  of  sending  provis- 
ions to  Major  Anderson.  The  "Star  of  the  West,"  loaded 
with  supplies,  was  approaching  Fort  Sumter  and  flying 
an  American  flag,  when,  on  the  9th  of  January,  1861, 
she  was  fired  upon  and  struck  by  guns  from  Fort 
Morris  and  was  thereby  forced  to  turn  back.  This  was 
the  first  act  of  war,  and  it  occurred  in  South  Carolina. 
The  war  did  not  really  begin,  however,  until  early  in 
the  morning  of  April  12,  1861,  when  shells  began  to 
stream  from  the  several  forts  that  surrounded  Fort 
Sumter — Fort  Johnson.  Morris.  Sullivan's  and  James 


And  Their  Fulfillment  27 

Islands — all  had  simultaneously  turned  their  batteries 
on  Sumter.  Finally,  after  a  heroic  but  hopeless  re- 
sistance, brave  Major  Anderson  surrendered  to  the  bel- 
ligerent foe.  The  day  after  the  surrender  (April  15th) 
Lincoln  issued  a  proclamation  calling  for  75,000  state 
militia  troops  in  order  to  suppress  the  combined  states 
naming  South  Carolina  first  among  the  offenders.  And 
since  the  prophecy  specifically  declared  that  the  war 
should  originate  in  South  Carolina  we  deem  it  signifi- 
cant that  that  state  should  be  listed  as  "head  and  front 
of  the  offenders"  in  the  first  six  or  seven  proclama- 
tions, and  messages  of  the  President  on  the  subject. 
In  his  message  to  the  special  session  of  Congress  on 
July  4,  1861,  he  makes  this  charge: 

"At  the  beginning  of  the  present  Presidential  term, 
four  months  ago,  the  functions  of  the  general  gov- 
ernment were  found  to  be  generally  suspended  within 
the  several  States  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  et  al. 
.  .  .  They  have  forced  upon  the  country  the  dis- 
tinct issue,  immediate  dissolution  or  blood." 

He  also  asked  for  an  army  of  400,000  men  and 
$400,000,000  to  commence  the  war  plans.  This  pointed 
observation  also  appears  in  the  message:  "It  may  well 
be  questioned  whether  there  is  today  a  majority  of 
the  legally  qualified  voters  of  any  State,  except,  per- 
haps, South  Carolina,  in  favor  of  disunion." 

It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  the  War  of  the  Re- 
bellion hal  its  beginning,  step  by  step,  in  South  Caro- 
lina. The  first  state  convention  attempting  to  annul 
the  bonds  of  the  United  States  was  that  of  South  Caro- 
lina. Hers  were  the  first  Senators  to  withdraw  from 
the  Senate,  and  likewise  her  Congressmen  were  the  first 


28  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

to  violate  their  oaths  of  office,  by  proving  disloyal  to 
the  Constitution. 

Ellis'  History  has  this  to  say  of  South  Carolina: 

"South  Carolina,  fiery,  impetuous,  headlong,  was 
the  leader  in  the  secession  movement,  as  she  had  been 
in  the  nullification  outburst  nearly  30  years  before." 

The  Democratic  national  convention,  at  which  there 
were  present  600  delegates,  assembled  in  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  on  the  23rd  day  of  April,  1860,  to 
nominate  candidates  for  the  Presidency  and  Vice-Presi- 
dency and  to  make  a  declaration  of  their  principles. 
Radical  secessionists  from  six  states  bolted  this  conven- 
tion. 

DEFIANCE     OF     THE     STATE. 

The  State  Convention  of  South  Carolina  met  in 
Charleston  on  the  17th  of  December,  with  David  F. 
Jamison  as  presiding  officer.  On  the  20th,  the  follow- 
ing resolution  was  unanimously  adopted  by  the  169 
delegates  and  afterwards  signed  by  every  one: 

"We  the  people  of  South  Carolina  in  convention 
assembled,  do  declare  and  ordain,  and  it  is  hereby 
declared  and  ordained,  that  the  ordinance  adopted 
by  us  on  the  23rd  day  of  May  in  the  year  1788, 
whereby  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was 
ratified,  and  also  all  acts  and  parts  of  acts,  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Stale  ratifying  amendments 
of  the  said  Constitution,  are  hereby  repealed  and 
the  union  now  subsisting  between  South  Carolina 
and  other  states,  under  the  name  of  the  United 
States,  is  hereby  dissolved." 

So,  it  will  be  seen  that  South  Carolina  assumed  lead- 
ership in  "defiant  confidence;"  appointed  ministers 


And  Their  Fulfillment  29 

to  treat  with  the  United  States  as  though  she  were  a 
foreign  power;  and  addressed  other  slave  states,  invit- 
ing them  to  join  her  in  the  formation  of  a  confederacy. 
Governor  Pickens,  of  that  state,  appointed  his  cabinet 
officers,  and  independent  South  Carolina  entered  upon 
its  brief  and  stormy  existence. 

In  this  very  remarkable  manner  was  the  Prophecy 
of  Joseph  Smith  fulfilled  to  the  very  letter. 

4.     "Which  will  eventually  terminate  in  the  death  and 
misery  of  many  souls." 

The  opening  words  of  this  remarkable  prophecy  run 
thus:  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  concerning  the  wars  [plural] 
that  will  shortly  come  to  pass,  beginning  at  the  rebellion 
of  South  Carolina."  It  is  obvious  that  a  number  of 
wars,  then  future,  were  foretold;  that  of  the  series  01 
group  of  wars  referred  to,  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
was  to  be  the  initial  war;  that  all  of  them,  in  combined 
result,  would  cause  the  "death  and  misery  of  many 
souls."  As  early  as  1854,  Orson  Pratt,  in  writing  of  this 
prophecy  plainly  perceived  that  the  war  which  was  to 
begin  at  South  Carolina  was  to  be  by  comparison  with 
subsequent  wars,  by  no  means  a  major  conflict.  Read 
his  interpretation  of  the  text: 

"The  revelation  does  not  inform  us  that  the  first 
symptom  of  this  rebellion  would  exhibit  anything 
very  alarming  in  its  appearance,  but  says,  'will 
eventually  terminate  in  the  death  and  misery  of  many 
souls.'  'Eventually,'  (not  directly  or  immediately), 
should  the  rebellion  of  that  State  lead  on  to  a  war 
more  general  in  its  nature,  involving  the  whole  na- 
tion in  a  formal  revolution,  not  in  the  loss  of  a 
few,  but  in  the  'death  and  misery  of  many  souls.' '; 


30  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

The  War  of  the  Rebellion,  as  it  began  in  Charleston 
harbor,  was  not,  at  first,  looked  upon  as  a  conflict  of 
first  magnitude.  Indeed,  President  Lincoln,  in  his  call 
for  troops,  required  only  ninety  days  service,  evidently 
being  persuaded  that  the  rebellion  would  be  successfully 
quelled  within  that  time.  Contrary  to  human  opinions, 
however,  the  war  dragged  slowly  and  tragically  through 
four  fearful  and  harrowing  years.  It  cost  in  treasure 
eight  billions.  It  cost  in  American  lives  one  million 
men.  And  to  these  two  big  items  ofxtreasure  and  blood 
we  may  add  that  it  has  taken  a  full  generation  to  wash 
the  bitterness  of  the  conflict  out  of  the  souls  of  the  men 
and  women  of  America.  So,  the  initial  war  of  itself,  re- 
sulted in  the  "death  and  misery  of  many  souls." 

5.     "The   Southern   States   shall    be   divided   against 
the  Northern  States." 

The  exact  phrasing  of  this  clause  seems  to  depict  the 
South  as  the  aggressor  in  the  oncoming  conflict.  If 
that  were  the  intent  of  the  prophecy  it  has  ample  verifi- 
cation in  subsequent  events.  Sufficient  proof  thereof  will 
be  found  in  the  great  inaugural  address  of  President 
Lincoln  where  he  spoke  thus,  to  the  South:  "You  can 
have  no  conflict  without  yourselves  being  the  aggres- 
sors." 

While  rebellion  and  secession  originated  in  the  state 
of  South  Carolina,  the  same  spirit  instantly  spread  like 
a  prairie  fire  throughout  most  of  the  cotton  states. 

The  action  of  South  Carolina  was  followed,  within 
six  weeks,  by  Mississippi,  Florida,  Alabama,  Louisiana, 
Georgia,  and  Texas.  "Delegates  from  six  of  these  'sov- 
ereign states'  met  at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  February  4, 
1861.  Jefferson  Davis  of  Mississippi  was  chosen  Presi- 
dent, and  Alexander  H.  Stephens  of  Georgia,  Vice-Presi- 


And  Their  Fulfillment 


31 


FACSIMILE  OF  THE  CONFEDERATE  CONSTITUTION. 
".<4 TIC?  £/*e  Southern  States  shall  be  divided  against  the  North- 
ern States" 


32  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

dent."  A  constitution  was  adopted  which  sanctioned 
slavery.  A  Confederate  flag  was  adopted,  known  as  the 
"stars  and  bars."  .  .  .  President  Davis  was  author- 
ized to  raise  an  army  of  100,000  men  and  secure  a  loan 
of  $15,000,000  to  wage  war  upon  the  Northern  Stages. 
.  .  .  A  committee  of  three  was  appointed  and  sent 
abroad  to  secure  the  friendship  and  alliance  of  Euro- 
pean courts."  Secretaries  Floyd  and  Thompson  retained 
their  positions  in  President  Buchanan's  Cabirel  while 
"they  were  working  openly  for  the  cause  of  secession," 
using  their  exalted  positions  within  the  Union  to  bring 
about  a  tragic  dism  ion.  Members  of  Congress  from 
the  cotton  states  were  zealously  co-operating  with  their 
governors  and  others  in  directing  and  promoting  tin 
cause  of  secession.  The  Senators  from  Georgia,  Ala- 
bama, Florida,  Mississippi,  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  and 
Texas  caucused  in  a  committee  room  of  the  Senate,  Jan- 
uary 5,  1861,  and  took  action  favoring  the  secession  of 
their  respective  states  and  advised  immediate  severance 
of  all  political  ties.  Yet  they  retained  their  seats  in  the 
Senate  until  they  had  been  advised  of  the  passage  of 
secession  acts  by  their  several  states. 

"The  South  Carolina  convention,  which  had  taken 
the  lead  in  the  matter,  and  had  on  the  20th  of  De- 
cember passed  the  ordinance  of  secession,  also  adopt- 
ed resolutions  for  a  convention  of  seceded  states." 
The  first  of  these  resolutions  was  as  follows: 

"First,  that  the  conventions  of  the  seceding  slave- 
holding  states  of  the  United  States  unite  with  South 
Carolina,  and  hold  a  convention  at  Montgomery, 
Alabama,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Southern 
Confederacy." 


"Mr.    Calhoun,    during    the    proceedings    of    the 


V 


Secession  Banner  displayed  in  the  South 
Carolina  Convention 


"Beginning  at  the  Rebellion  of  Zouth  Carolina" 


34  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

South  Carolina  convention,  said:  'We  have  pulled 
a  temple  down  that  has  been  built  three-quarters  of 
a  century;  we  must  clear  the  rubbish  away  to  recon- 
struct another.  We  are  now  houseless  and  homeless, 
and  we  must  secure  ourselves  against  storms.' 

"At  this  time  the  Legislature  of  New  York  passed 
the  following  resolution: 

"Whereas,  the  insurgent  state  of  South  Carolina, 
after  seizing  the  post-office,  custom-house,  monies 
and  fortifications  of  the  Federal  government,  has, 
by  firing  into  a  vessel  ordered  by  the  government  to 
convey  troops  and  provisions  to  Fort  Sumter,  vir- 
tually declared  war;  and  whereas,  the  forts  and  prop- 
erty of  the  United  States  government  in  Georgia, 
Alabama,  and  Louisiana,  have  been  unlawfully 
seized  with  hostile  intentions;  and  whereas,  their 
senators  in  Congress  avow  and  maintain  their  trea- 
sonable acts,  Therefore — 

"Resolved,  That  the  Legislature  of  New  York  is 
profoundly  impressed  with  the  value  of  the  Union, 
and  determined  to  preserve  it  unimpaired;  that  it 
greets  with  joy  the  recent  firm,  dignified,  and  pa- 
triotic special  message  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  that  we  tender  to  him,  through  the 
chief  magistrate  of  our  own  state,  whatever  aid  in 
men  or  money  that  may  be  required  to  enable  him 
to  enforce  the  laws  and  uphold  the  authority  of 
the  Federal  government;  and  that,  in  defense  of 
the  Union,  which  has  conferred  prosperity  and  hap- 
piness upon  the  American  people,  renewing  the 
pledge  given  and  redeemed  by  our  fathers,  we  are 
ready  to  devote  our  fortunes,  our  lives  and  our 
sacred  honor." — History  of  the  Great  Rebellion,  by 
Thomas  P.  Kettel,  1865. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  35 

Thus  the  South  not  only  assumed  the  offensive  in  the 
war,  but  in  doing  so  organized  a  confederation  or  union 
of  states,  chose  its  officers,  organized  an  army,  and  fi- 
nanced by  various  means  the  war  it  deliberately  waged 
against  the  North.  She  thus  became  both  instigator  and 
aggressor — just  as  the  prophecy  had  decreed  more  than 
twenty-eight  years  before. 

6.     "The   Southern   States   will   call   on   other   nations, 
even  the  nation  of  Great  Britain." 

Within  six  weeks  after  the  secession  of  South  Caro- 
lina, six  other  "sovereign  states"  had  dissolved  the  ties 
that  bound  them  to  the  Union.  All  of  these  states  sent 
delegates  to  the  convention  held  at  Montgomery,  Ala- 
bama, February  4,  1861,  where  they  organized  a  new 
Confederacy.  After  adopting  a  constitution,  electing 
officers,  and  attending  to  some  other  formalities,  this 
convention  at  once  authorized  President  Jefferson  Davis 
to  "appoint  a  committee  of  three,  with  impetuous  Yancey 
of  Alamaba  as  chairman,"  whose  mission  it  was  to  go 
abroad  and  secure  the  friendship  and  alliance  of  Euro- 
pean courts.  As  the  war  proceeded  the  southern  ports 
were  very  successfully  blockaded  by  the  northern  navy, 
and  thus  the  import  trade  of  the  confederacy  suffered 
seriously.  England  depended  upon  the  cotton  from  the 
South  to  keep  her  great  cotton  mills  running.  These 
circumstances  gave  high  hope  to  the  Confederacy  that 
Great  Britain  would  soon  become  an  ally.  In  further- 
ance of  these  hopes,  Messrs.  Mason  and  Slidell  were 
commissioned  to  France  and  England  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  the  friendly  assistance  of  those  two  countries. 
The  Trent  affair  has  made  this  commission  somewhat  fa- 
mous in  history.  Men  conspicuous  in  the  affairs  of 
Great  Britain  were  free  to  express  their  sympathy  for 


36  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

the  southern  cause.  No  less  a  person  than  the  great 
Gladstone,  then  a  Cabinet  minister,  in  a  speech  at  New- 
castle on  October  7,  1862,  had  the  frankness  to  say: 

"There  is  no  doubt  that  Jefferson  Davis  and  other 
leaders  of  the  South  have  made  an  army;  they  are 
making,  it  appears,  a  navy;  and  they  are  making 
what  is  more  than  either, — a  nation.  .  .  .  We 
may  anticipate  with  certainty  the  success  of  the 
Southern  States  so  far  as  their  separation  from  the 
North  is  concerned." 

The  various  reverses  of  the  Northern  forces  during 
the  campaigns  of  1862  led  the  English  leaders  to  look 
for  ultimate  failure  in  the  great  attempt  to  restore  the 
Union.  The  capitalists  of  the  empire  bought  heavily  of 
the  Confederacy  bonds.  Something  like  $10,000,000, 
was  thus  wagered  on  the  outcome  of  the  controversy. 
England  even  went  so  far  as  to  build  battleships  for 
the  South.  Two  of  these,  the  Florida  and  the  Alabama, 
slipped  away  from  Liverpool  in  March  and  July,  1862, 
and  engaged  themselves  in  the  predatory  pastime  of 
preying  on  our  commerce  wherever  it  could  be  en- 
countered on  the  high  seas.  Two  more  ironclad  rams 
were  ready  to  leave  the  ways  at  the  docks  for  similar  pur- 
poses. Our  minister  to  England  at  this  juncture  curtly 
advised  Lord  Russell,  the  Foreign  Secretary,  "It  would 
be  superflous  in  me  to  point  out. to  your  Lordship  that 
this  is  war."  This  pointed  note  called  a  halt  to  British 
piracy  and  collusion  with  the  South.4 

With  such  encouraging  circumstances  as  these  in  his 


4 The  damage  done,  however,  had  afterwards  to  be  adjusted 
and  England  paid  for  her  meddling.  She  was  adjudged  guilty 
of  violating  the  laws  of  neutrality  by  a  commission  of  neutral 
selection  and  paid  a  fine  of  $15,500,000  as  damagps. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  37 

favor,  Mason  was  making  headway  in  his  mission  to 
England.  Slidell  was  equally  industrious  on  a  similar 
mission  across  the  channel.  At  a  meeting  he  held  with 
Emperor  Napoleon  III,  in  July,  1862,  Mr.  Slidell  under- 
took to  purchase  with  a  hundred  thousand  bales  of  cot- 
ton, worth  $12,500,000,  the  co-operation  of  the  French 
navy  to  the  extent,  at  least,  of  a  fleet  to  break  the  block- 
ade of  southern  ports.  Napoleon  sought  the  aid  of 
Great  Britain  and  Russia  in  demanding  that  the  Wash- 
ington government  recognize  the  independence  of  the 
South.  In  this  he  failed. 

Offers  of  assistance  were  tendered  Emperor  Napoleon 
in  the  establishing  of  an  empire  in  Mexico — a  dream  that 
might  well  awaken  the  spirit  of  conquest  in  any  im- 
perial head.  Under  the  guise  of  collecting  honest  debts 
this  wiley  monarch  transported  a  "royal  person"  from 
Austria  to  Mexico  and  with  the  pomp  of  other  imperial 
escorts  placed  Maximilian  upon  the  wobbly  throne  of 
the  empire  of  Mexico,  which  was  to  be  resigned  to  Na- 
poleon in  the  event  of  the  success  of  the  southern  cause. 
Plans  were  ripening,  plots  were  hatching,  and  the  perma- 
nent separation  of  our  Union  was  all  but  an  accom- 
plished fact  in  the  minds  of  plotters  and  confederate 
"spy"  diplomats  like  Slidell  and  Mason.  The  one  thing 
necessary  to  success  was  the  English  navy.  That  could 
not  be  secured  because  England  was  at  that  particular 
time  in  her  history  ruled,  not  by  her  crown  head,  but  by 
her  people.  And  the  unexcelled  qualities  of  good  Queen 
Victoria  were  gloriously  revealed  in  that  she  was 
conscious  of  that  great  fact.  She  probably  had  as 
broad  a  vision  and  as  deep  an  understanding  of  the 
future  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  strain  as  any  person  then 
living,  says  Mr.  Ralph  Page  in  his  recent  interesting 
volume  on  American  Diplomacy.  At  any  rate  she  i? 


38  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

reported  to  have  met  Napoleon's  proposals  with  this 
flat  statement:  "You  must  understand  that  I  shall 
sign  no  paper  which  means  war  with  the  United  States." 
On  account  of  the  attitude  of  this  great  woman,  the 
missions  of  Mason  and  Slidell  completely  failed.  But 
through  them  the  South  did  call  on  Great  Britain  and 
other  nations  for  assistance  in  their  unlawful  undertak- 
ing. 

7.  And  the  Southern  States  will  call  on  other  na- 
tions, even  the  nation  of  Great  Britain,  as  it  is 
called,  and  they  [i.  e.,  Great  Britain  and  her  al- 
lies] shall  also  call  upon  other  nations,  in  order 
to  defend  themselves  against  other  nations." 

This  part  of  the  prophecy  obviously  foretells  a  time 
when  Great  Britain  should  be  either  engaged  in  the 
diplomatic  process  of  forming  offensive  and  defensive 
alliances  with  other  nations,  or  she  would  actually  be 
at  war  and  under  stress  of  circumstances  would  be  call- 
ing upon  other  nations  to  defend  herself  and  her  allies. 
This  prediction  need  not  at  all  apply  to  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion  as  the  prophecy  distinctly  speaks  of  wars  in 
the  plural  that  were  to  shortly  come  to  pass — thus  fore- 
casting a  distinct  group  or  series  of  wars. 

Subsequent  to  this  time,  Great  Britain  and  other 
European  nations  began  the  formation  of  alliances  which 
reached  their  final  development  within  very  recent  years. 
They  are  described  by  the  terms  Triple  Alliance  and 
the  Triple  Entente.  The  two  powerful  groups  stood 
practically  thus:  England,  France  and  Russia;  Germany, 
Austria-Hungary  and  Italy.  The  great  war  which  broke 
out  August,  1914,  brought  into  conflict  these  two  great 
alliances.  Russia's  standing  both  in  the  west  and  in  the 
far-reaching  east  was  vital  to  British  interests.  When  she 


And  Their  Fulfillment  39 

was  attacked  the  Entente  was  immediately  aroused.  The 
two  great  German  armies  were  grinding  their  ways  in 
both  directions.  One  driving  ruthlessly  into  Russia 
the  other  ferociously  grinding  through  Belgium  toward 
France.  Great  Britain  was  vitally  effected  by  both  lines 
of  attack.  Her  reliance  had  been  largely  in  her  incom- 
parable navy  and  in  the  magnificent  army  of  her  ally, 
France.  All  the  man  power  of  the  Entente  was  imme- 
diately summoned  to  the  combat.  The  theatre  of  war  en- 
larged. The  consummate  plans  of  the  aggressors  soon 
revealed  the  colossal  objective — the  absolute  domina- 
tion of  the  world  by  the  war  lord  of  Europe.  Italy  was  re- 
luctant. The  fate  of  empires  was  already  being  decided. 
The  fate  of  the  world  was  soon  to  be  determined.  The 
Orient  began  to  respond.  America  waited.  Then  it  was 
that  Great  Britain  called  upon  other  nations.  France 
joined  in  the  call.  Then  Belgium.  Each  nation  sent 
their  commissions  to  this  country  and  to  other  nations  in 
order  "to  defend  themselves  against  other  nations."  Fin- 
ally nineteen  nations  were  united  in  their  defense  against 
the  threatening  invasions  of  the  Triple  Alliance.  Never 
before  in  the  history  of  warfare  or  diplomacy  was  there 
such  a  formation  of  alliances.  Never  before  had  Great 
Britain  called  so  earnestly  and  so  justifiably  and  effect- 
ively as  in  the  years  1914,  1915  and  1916.  And  all  this 
occurred  within  about  fifty-five  years  from  the  opening 
of  the  series  of  wars  prophecied  by  Joseph  Smith.  And 
what  is  s*ill  more  remarkable,  the  entire  procedure  con- 
forms exactly  to  the  prediction  made  by  Joseph  Smith, 
viz.:  "they  shall  also  call  upon  other  nations,  in  order 
to  defend  themselves  against  other  nations."  A  plurality 
of  nations  aligned  and  allied  on  both  sides  of  the  dead- 
ly conflict.  One  nation  on  a  side,  as  is  the  case  in  most 
wars,  would  not  have  filled  the  requirements.  It  re- 


40  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

quired  the  two  contending  groups  to  vindicate  this  very 
extraordinary  prophecy.  Surely  history  hath  affirmed 
in  the  minutest  detail  what  prophetic  inspiration  asserted 
nearly  a  century  before. 

8.     "And  then  war  shall   be  poured  out  upon  all  na- 
tions." 

The  Prophecy  reads  thus:  "The  days  will  come  that 
war  will  be  poured  out  upon  all  nations."  Associating 
this  particular  prediction  with  the  other,  "which  will 
eventually  terminate  in  the  death  and  misery  of  many 
souls,"  we  would  naturally  look  for  a  culmination  of 
events  in  the  course  of  time.  And  it  seems  that  the  time 
has  now  arrived  to  describe  the  fulfillment  of  the  strik- 
ing prophecy  concerning  a  war  of  "all  nations."  We 
may  now  also  compute  the  cost  in  the  "death  and  misery 
of  many  souls."  Since  Prophets  spoke  the  word  of  God 
to  men  there  has  not  been  uttered  a  prophecy  of  greater 
magnitude  than  this.  The  Old  Testament  fairly  thunders 
with  prophecies  of  "wars  and  rumors  of  wars."  But 
there  is,  perhaps,  nowhere  in  Holy  Writ  a  prophecy  that 
foretells  a  universal  war.  Perhaps  the  nearest  approar> 
to  such  a  prediction  is  the  one  made  by  the  Savior  at 
the  close  of  his  ministry.  He  said:  "For  nation  eha)T 
rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom  against  kingdom:  and 
there  shall  be  famines,  and  pestilences,  and  earthquakes 
in  divers  places." 

While  these  terms  could  mean  many  or  few  they  un- 
questionably suggest  the  maximum  rather  than  the 
minimum.  Indeed,  it  appears  that  these  two  prophecies 
describe  the  same  set  of  circumstances — the  same  events 
in  human  history.  At  any  rate  the  prophecy  of  Joseph 
Smith  described  a  war  of  the  greatest  possible  magnitude 
in  the  term  "all  nations."  That  term  has  but  one  mean- 


•      C-     e*;&r™ 

^    '  yv'< 

^.  ^.^^ 


" /^>     ,'lS*'<s: 

*y    '        "/  jf          ,       /•<: 


The  Prophecy  on   War  photographed  from   Volume  One  "A" 
Manuscript  History  of  the  Church,  pp.  244-5. 


42  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

ing,  viz. :  a  universal  war.  And  such  a  war,  the  only  one 
of  such  proportions  in  all  history  began  in  Europe  in 
August,  1914.  In  that  incomparably  great  conflict  nine- 
teen established  nations  assembled  their  entire  human 
power  for  the  terrific  contest.  Fifteen  on  the  one  side, 
four  on  the  other.  Twelve  other  nations  declared  war 
against  one  or  another  of  the  belligerents.  Of  the  re- 
maining fifty  nations  of  the  earth  five  severed  diplomatic 
relations  with  one  or  more  of  the  contending  peoples  and 
all  the  remaining  nations  were  diitctly  and  seriously  af- 
fected by  this  all-engulfing  cataclysm.  War  reached 
them  all  on  the  high  seas.  There  is  not  a  nation  on  earth 
today  that  has  not  paid,  in  some  degree,  its  proportion 
of  the  cost  of  this  great  war  in  treasure,  human  woe  or 
human  lives.  And  for  years  to  come  will  they  continue 
to  pay.  Here  are  the  terms  in  figures  never  before 
dreamed  of  as  possible  in  military  undertakings: 

At  one  time  there  were  mustered  into  service  and  act- 
ually on  the  seas  or  on  battle  fields  sixty  million  men, 
all  of  whom  were  at  war!  Of  that  enormous  number 
eight  million  are  now  dead.  Seven  million  others  are 
maimed  and  impaired  so  that  one-fourth  of  that  tragic 
mess  of  humanity  is  a  permanent  wreck.  Add  to  these 
colossal  figures  the  millions  who  died  from  hunger,  dis- 
ease and  massacre,  back  in  their  home  lands,  and  the 
figures  become  appalling. 

The  following  is  from  the  Literary  Digest  for  June 
26,  1920: 

"Forty  million  persons  are  not  living  today  who 
might  be  alive  had  there  been  no  world-war.  Of 
these  some  ten  millions  were  lost  on  the  battle 
fields.  These  figures  were  given  to  the  London 
correspondent  of  the  New  York  Tribune  by  the 


And  Their  Fulfillment  43 

Society  for  the  Study  of  the  Social  Consequences  of 
the  War,  a  Copenhagen  organization,  and  are  based 
upon  personal  enquiries  into  the  changes  in  popu- 
lation. The  report  gives  not  only  the  actual  war- 
casualties,  but  the  decline  of  the  birth-rate,  also  the 
remarkable  change  in  the  proportion  of  the  sexes. 
In  the  ten  countries  mentioned  below  the  surplus 
female  population  has  risen  from  about  five  mil- 
ion  to  about  fifteen  million,  and  the  decline  of  the 
birth-rate  represents  38  per  cent  of  the  normal.  Sta- 
tistics show  the  total  loss  of  life  to  have  been  more 
than  thirty-five  million  persons,  but  the  report  de- 
clares that  'if  the  losses  of  Turkey,  Greece,  Portugal, 
Montenegro,  the  United  States,  the  British  Domin- 
ions, and  other  non-European  belligerents  and  colon- 
ies were  included,  then  the  total  loss  to  the  world 
must  be  put  down  at  forty  million  lives.'  In  some  in- 
stances, such  as  small  states,  it  was  impossible  to  ob- 
tain accurate  data,  so  careful  computations  based  up- 
on data  from  other  countries  were  made.  And  in  Rus- 
sia, where  the  fighting  is  raging  even  at  this  late 
date,  and  where  hunger,  cold,  disease,  and  battle 
are  taking  their  daily  toll  of  lives,  conservative  cal- 
culations of  the  losses  up  to  the  middle  of  1919 
were  made."  (Statistics  of  war-casualties  and  changes 
in  birth  and  death-rates  are  then  tabulated.) 

Turning  from  the  price  in  human  life  to  the  cost 
in  treasure,  we  are  left  as  a  bankrupt  world.  The 
world's  debts  are  today  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  bil- 
lion dollars,  or  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
per  capita  as  compared  with  twenty-seven  dollars  be- 
fore this  war.  How  long  this  debt  will  hang  on  the 
world's  neck  like  a  veritable  millstone  no  one  can  tell. 


44  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

But  the  burden  is  there  for  a  long,  long  time.  Surely 
here  is  a  sum  total  of  human  woe  and  misery  well  worthy 
the  prophecy  of  Joseph  Smith  that  these  wars,  which 
were  shortly  to  come  to  pass,  would  "eventually  term- 
inate in  the  death  and  misery  of  many  souls." 

THE  "THUS"  AND  "THEN"  DISCOVERY. 

In  the  1851  print  of  this  Revelation  on  War,  two  er- 
rors occurred  which  changed  the  context  of  the  prophecy. 
One  we  pass  as  of  little  consequence.  The  other,  how- 
ever, is  of  great  importance  for  the  reason  that  it  robbed 
the  prophecy  of  a  most  remarkable  significance  with  re- 
spect to  the  time  of  the  "war  of  all  nations,"  or  the 
world-war.  The  original  print  reads:  "and  the  Southern 
States  will  call  on  other  nations,  even  the  nation  of  Great 
Britain,  as  it  is  called,  and  they  shall  also  call  upon 
other  nations,  in  order  to  defend  themselves  against  other 
nations;  and  thus  war  shall  be  poured  out  upon  all  na- 
tions," etc.  It  was  discovered  by  the  historians  of  the 
Church  in  1902  that  the  earliest  manuscript  History  of 
the  Church,  the  one  written  under  the  direction  of  Joseph 
Smith  during  his  life  and  ministry,  rendered  that  sen- 
tence: "then  war  shall  be  poured  out  upon  all  nations," 
etc.  This  revelation  now  appears  as  originally  in  the  of- 
ficial History  of  the  Church  (Vol.  I,  1902.)  It  is  note- 
worthy that  this  significant  correction  was  made,  not  at 
the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  World  War,  nor  at  any 
time  subsequently,  but  twelve  years  prior  thereto. 

As  we  construe  this  prophecy,  in  its  original  render- 
ing, it  was  invested  with  a  remarkable  value  in  that  it 
foretold,  specifically,  when  the  universal  war  was  to  oc- 
cur, viz.,  when  they  [i.  e.,  Great  Britain  and  her  allies] 
should  "call  on  other  nations  in  order  to  defend  them- 
selves against  other  nations." 


And  Their  Fulfillment  45 

Never  did  Great  Britain  sue  for  assistance  as  she  did 
after  August  1st,  1914.  Up  to  th.  \  time  in  the  world's 
history  were  we  not  frequently  reminded  by  a  familiar 
refrain  that  "Brittania  rules  the  waves?"  And  was  it  not 
a  common  saying  that  "the  sun  never  sets  en  the  British 
Empire"?  These  very  boasls  resolved  Germany  to  con- 
test British  supremacy  on  sea  as  well  as  on  land.  Then, 
for  the  first  time  in  her  history,  it  has  been  asserted, 
England  plead  and  sued,  and  intrigued  for  aid.  She 
first  called  upon  her  colonies.  On  August  first  the  Can- 
adian government  offered  10,000  volunteers;  on  the 
third  the  Canadian  reserves  sailed  for  England;  on  the 
fourth  mobilization  began  in  the  Dominion;  on  the  ninth 
England  accepted  1,000,000  bags  of  flour  from  the  same 
source;  and  on  the  same  day  the  Canadian  Parliament 
endorsed  England's  participation  in  the  war;  on  the 
twenty-fifth  the  mobilization  of  the  second  Canadian 
army  was  commenced;  on  the  thirty-first,  Alberta  and 
Quebec  contributed  vast  food  supplies;  less  than  a 
month  later,  32,000  troops  sailed  for  England  along  with 
the  cadets  of  the  Royal  Military  College. 

On  September  nineteenth,  Mr.  Lloyd-George  appealed 
to  the  Welsh  for  recruits;  Asquith  and  Redmond  ap- 
pealed to  the  Irish  for  aid;  and  on  the  26th  the  Indian 
Moslems  manifested  their  loyalty  to  Great  Britain.  On 
September  5th,  the  Allies  signed  an  agreement  that  none 
should  make  peace  without  the  agreement  of  all,  thereby 
tightening  the  bonds  of  their  alliance.  In  France  similar 
progress  was  being  made  in  securing  the  aid  of  colonials 
and  other  countries.  Many  Americans  were  enlisted 
there  to  fight  for  France;  foreign  volunteers  were  mob- 
ilizing in  Paris;  and  the  services  of  Anglo-American 
Rough  Riders  were  accepted. 

At  this  particular  crisis  the  Allies  began  to  seek  aid 


46  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

from  foreign  nations.  England,  with  a  desperation  never 
before  manifested  in  her  demeanor,  sent  important  com- 
missions to  this  country  to  negotiate  loans,  contract  for 
food  supplies  and  ammunitions,  and  to  enlist  the  mili- 
tary aid  of  the  United  States.  She  sought  similar  aid  at 
the  hands  of  her  ally,  Japan,  as  well  as  China.  She 
finally  won  Italy  over  into  action.  These  aid-soliciting 
commissions  came  not  from  England  alone,  but  from 
France  and  Belgium  as  well.  So  desperate  did  the  situ- 
ation soon  become  that  England,  France  and  Italy  re- 
sorted to  the  intrigue  of  secret  treaty  and  actually  bar- 
tered with  Japan  for  her  more  effective  aid,  and  each 
signed  an  agreement  to  take  from  Germany  the  Shantung 
Province,  with  its  30,000,000  people,  which  she  had  vio- 
lently and  wrongfully  stolen  fro.a  China,  and  turn  the 
same  over  to  Japan  as  reward  for  services  to  be  ren- 
dered. 

In  this  extraordinary  manner  they,  Great  Britain 
and  her  allies,  called  upon  other  nations  for  aid  and 
then  the  world  war  occurred  precisely  as  Joseph  Smith 
had  predicted  four  score  years  before:  "and  they  shall 
also  call  upon  other  nations,  in  order  to  defend  them- 
selves against  other  nations,  and  then  shall  war  be  poured 
out  upon  ail  nations.9' 

9.  "And  thus  with  the  sword9  and  by  bloodshed,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  shall  mourn;  and  with 
famine  and  plague  and  earthquakes." 

We  have  recapitulated  the  toll  of  the  sword  and  blood- 
shed under  another  heading.  Here  we  propose  to  show 
that  famine  and  plague  have  reaped  their  grim  harvest 
of  death  as  seldom  before  in  the  earth. 

No  sooner  had  the  great  World  War  been  fairly  be- 
gun than  the  whole  world  was  more  or  less  placed  on 


And  Their  Fulfillment  47 

rations.  "Bread  will  win  the  war,"  was  the  slogan  of  pa- 
triotic self-denial.  All  kinds  of  substitutes  and  subter- 
fuges were  resorted  to  to  sustain  the  ever-increasing 
armies  of  the  world.  The  populace  at  home  was  im- 
poverished in  the  belligerent  countries  to  keep  the  men 
at  the  front  in  fighting  trim.  The  aged  and  the  i:fant 
died  from  under-nourishment.  Prices  advanced  and 
the  poor  could  not  buy  the  wholesome  food  their  bodies 
demanded  and  their  burden  of  toil  deserved.  Nation 
after  nation  became  dependent  on  importation  for  food 
supplies.  Transportation  became  both  hazardous  and 
inadequate.  The  close  of  the  war,  if  not  before,  found 
nearly  all  European  and  Asiatic  nations  industrially  de- 
moralized. Prices  still  soared  because  of  the  universal 
shortage,  and  the  greed  of  the  hoarder  and  the  profiteer 
sent  them  still  higher.  The  purchasing  power  of  the  coin 
of  the  realm  declined.  Political  and  industrial  dis- 
turbances have  been  on  the  increase  until  famine  today 
stalks  through  many  lands. 

10.     Famine. 

The  following  appeared  in  the  daily  papers  only  re- 
cently : 

"STARVATION  STALKING  LIKE  SPECTRE  THROUGHOUT 
CITIES  OF  MOSCOW  AND  PETROGRAD. — PEOPLE 
DYING  BY  THOUSANDS  FOR  WANT  OF  NOURISHING 

FOOD    WHICH     MANY     ARE     UNABLE     TO     OBTAIN, 
OWING  TO  SCARCITY. 

"By  John  Clayton. 
"Chicago  Tribune. — Salt  Lake  Tribune  Cable. 

"Paris,  June  26,  [1920].    Moscow  and  Petrograd 
were  starving  when  I  left  there  in  May.     Not  in  the 


48  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

figurative  sense  of  the  word,  but  literally.  Cities  and 
peoples  are  dying  for  lack  of  food.  For  more  than 
two  years  the  great  bulk  of  the  people  have  Lot  had 
enough  to  keep  body  and  soul  together.  Bread  that 
is  half  straw,  dirty,  sour,  unpalatable,  has  been  the 
chief  diet  of  the  Russian  city  dweller — bread,  and 
tea  made  of  birch  leaves. 

'  'You  cannot  understand  it,' said  Kibalshic,  one  of 
the  young  anarchists  working  with  the  government  in 
Petrograd,  'until  you  have  been  here  some  time.  You 
know  the  people  are  hungry,  that  even  you,  with 
your  supply  of  money,  are  sometimes  hungry.  But 
you  do  not  see  your  friends  dropping  out  quietly, 
one  by  one,  almost  from  day  to  day.' 

"DAILY  TOLL  is  HEAVY. 

"Dead  from  starvation,  they  are,  from  lack  of 
food  and  lack  of  resistance  to  disease.  Petrograd's 
population  has  been  reduced  to  the  half-million 
mark  by  hunger.  Workmen  will  not  stay  in  the  city 
when  they  find  better  conditions  in  their  villages. 
Those  who  do  stay  die  sooner  or  later.  In  Moscow 
it  is  the  same  thing.  Moscow,  once  a  city  of  2,000,- 
000  now  has  a  population  of  about  1,000,000,  and 
this  number  is  being  reduced  daily.  Of  the  million, 
perhaps  10  per  cent  are  able  to  get  food  in  addition 
to  the  government  ration.  They  include  families 
formerly  wealthy  who  still  have  valuables  to  sell  the 
grafting  government  official  and  the  speculator. 

"For  these  there  are  three  large  open  markets 
where  one  can  buy  white  bread,  butter,  a  little  bacon, 
horse  flesh,  and  once  in  a  while  beef  and  vegetables, 
veal  and  other  meat.  A  pound  of  white  bread  costs 
twice  the  daily  wage  with  bonuses  of  the  skilled 


And  Their  Fulfillment  49 

workman,  a  pound  of  horse-flesh  two-and-a-half 
times;  a  pound  of  other  meat  four  times;  and  a 
pound  of  butter  or  bacon,  five  times. 

"I  dined  one  evening  in  Moscow  with  a  doctor, 
formerly  in  comfortable  circumstances,  and  now  re- 
duced to  the  starvation  rations  permitted  the  'ex- 
bourgeoisis'  by  the  government,  a  ration  half  that 
of  a  workman.  This  family  has  sold  practically 
everything  it  owns. 

"The  doctor  once  had  an  excellent  medical  li- 
brary, and  that  had  been  the  last  thing  to  go.  But 
his  children  must  not  go  hungry.  They  served  me 
a  special  dinner  that  evening — kasha  (any  kind  of 
cooked  cereal,)  fish  heads,  black  bread,  and  tea  made 
from  bread  crumbs.  It  was  the  first  time  in  days  fish 
or  meat  had  graced  their  table.  But  we,  in  the  gov- 
ernment guest  houses  had  meat  every  day. 

"MEAT  UNFIT  TO  EAT. 

"And  the  meat  they  do  get  at  intervals !  Day  after 
day  I  watched  it  being  brought  into  the  city  in  un- 
covered wagons.  Dirty,  lean,  often  putrified  car- 
casses of  horses  long  since  past  the  age  of  usefulness 
and  fit  only  for  the  glue  factory.  Such  flesh  as  this 
turned  into  human  food!  Twenty,  thirty  sometimes 
fifty  loads  of  it  are  taken  to  the  central  distribu- 
tion point  for  the  public  kitchens  or  for  issue  on  ra- 
tion cards. 

The  normal  ration  for  the  working  man  for  a 
month  would  provide  sufficient  food  for  perhaps 
six  days — that  for  the  brain  worker  for  perhaps  four 
days. 


50  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

:<  'God  deliver  us  from  another  winter  such  as  the 
last,'  said  one  man  to  me. 

"If  we  were  forced  to  endure  again  the  suffer- 
ing we  have  just  past  through,  none  but  the  commis- 
sars will  be  alive  when  spring  comes  next  year." 

The  Russians  are  not  the  only  sufferers  from  famine. 
Millions  of  Armenians  have  actually  died  for  food.  And 
yet  are  there  others. 

11.     Plagues. 

While  the  hope  of  the  world  was  running  high  be- 
cause of  the  prospects  of  peace,  a  disease  broke  out  in 
certain  centers  and  rapidly  spread  from  land  to  land. 
The  grim  reaper  gathered  in  of  the  flower  of  all  coun- 
tries as  many  in  some  lands  as  had  fallen  by  the 
sword.  In  our  own  favored  land  more  fell  by  the  plague 
than  by  the  war.  In  both  cases  the  young,  the  promising 
and  the  fair,  the  heads  of  young,  growing  families  were 
the  ones  to  fall.  In  January  of  the  present  year  the  fol- 
lowing disquieting  dispatch  came  from  London,  via  the 
Universal  Press: 

"London,  January  24. — Official  admission  that 
the  most  mysterious  disease  germ  of  the  ages — the 
influenza  bacillus — has  defeated  the  world's  great- 
est scientists  was  made  to  Universal  Service  today  by 
Sir  George  Newman,  chief  medical  officer  of  the 
British  health  ministry. 

"The  world  sits  powerless  before  the  greatest  de- 
vastator of  history  unable  to  prevent  or  cure  the 
dread  plague,  said  Sir  George.  Britain  will  be  in 
the  throes  of  a  new  epidemic  in  February.  We  have 
made  all  possible  preparations  to  combat  it,  but  we 
are  not  able  to  do  much." 


And  Their  Fulfillment  51 

Sir  George  was  not  surprised  at  the  alarming  reports 
from  Chicago,  New  York  and  Tokio,  declaring  that  it 
was  the  expected  natural  recrudescence  of  the  world  wave 
of  death  plague. 

"This  mysterious  disease,"  he  added,  "killed  nearly 
100,000  persons  in  the  British  Isles  in  1918  and  1919. 
We  were  unable  to  prevent  its  spread  then  and  we  are 
in  the  same  position  now,  despite  the  most  searching 
investigation  by  the  world's  best  brains.  One  can  truth- 
fully say  that,  so  far,  medical  science  has  been  de- 
feated." 


52  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


A  Mighty  People  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 

'Westward  the  course  of  empire  takes  its  way; 

Time's  noblest  offspring  is  the  last.9' 
—Bishop  Berkley,  verses  on  the  "Prospects  of  Planting 
Arts  and  Learning  in  America." 

Small  value  was  placed  upon  the  great  west  by  the 
men  of  affairs  in  the  first  decades  of  the  past  century. 
Great  statesmen  were  referring  to  that  region  as  the 
"worthless  wilderness  of  the  west."  Even  so  gifted  a 
man  as  Daniel  Webster  is  accredited  with  an  appraise- 
ment of  the  west  which  betrays,  in  the  light  of  more  re- 
cent developments,  a  most  remarkable  lack  of  vision  or 
foresight.  In  1803  the  great  north-west  region  was 
acquired  by  the  Louisiana  Purchase  and  was  soon  after- 
wards (1804-1805)  explored  by  the  famous  Lewis  and 
Clark.  Their  report  awakened  intense  interest  in  the 
new  and  romantic  country,  and  finally  brought  about 
the  establishment  there  of  trading  and  military  posts. 
These  in  turn  encouraged  exploration  and  adventure 
in  the  vast  unknown  region. 

By  1820,  if  not  earlier,  English  and  American  fur 
hunters  had  traced  their  arduous  trails  all  the  way 
from  the  British  possessions  in  the  north  to  Mexico  in 
the  south.  These  early  frontiersmen  were  often  in  the 
lucrative  employment  of  the  famous  Hudson  Bay  Co., 
or  the  North  American  Fur  Co.  They  were  among  the 
very  first  white  men  to  become,  even  in  a  small  way, 
acquainted  with  this  great  territory.  The  establish- 
ment of  mail  routes  and  the  building  of  forts  were  con- 
templated by  the  government  with  territorial  acquisi- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  53 

tions  as  the  apparent  objective.  Daniel  Webster  is  known 
to  have  been  opposed  to  this  western  expansion  scheme. 
An  alleged  statement  of  his  has  found  its  place  in  our 
western  literature,  having  been  given  full  recognition 
as  to  authorship  by  more  than  one  historian.  Professor 
Lyman,  of  Whitman  University,  in  his  history  of  the 
Columbia  River  country  refers  to  the  statement  as  having 
been  made  on  the  floor  of  the  U.  S.  Senate.  The  al- 
leged quotation  reads  thus: 

"What  do  we  want  with  this  vast,  worthless  area? 
This  region  of  savages  and  wild  beasts,  of  deserts, 
and  shifting  sands,  and  whirlwinds  of  dust,  of  cactus 
and  prairie  dogs?  To  what  use  could  we  ever  hope 
to  put  these  great  deserts,  or  those  endless  mountain 
ranges,  impenetrable  and  covered  to  the  very  base 
with  snow?  And  what  could  we  ever  hope  to  do 
with  the  western  coast  of  3,000  miles,  rock-bound, 
cheerless,  uninviting,  and  not  a  harbor  on  it?  Mr. 
President,  I  will  never  vote  one  cent  from  the  pub- 
lic treasury  to  place  the  Pacific  Coast  one  inch  near- 
er to  Boston  than  it  is."1 


Congressman  Mays  from  Utah,  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
writer,  endeavored  to  ascertain  the  genuineness  of  the  above 
extract.  Under  date  of  March,  2,  1920,  the  Congressman  re- 
ported as  follows:  "I  have  delayed  answering  your  letter  of  the 
13th  until  I  could  have  some  search  made  of  the  Record 
with  a  view  of  ascertaining  whether  or  not  the  passage  quoted 
by  me  could  be  discovered  among  the  Congressional  debates.  I 
asked  the  Record  Clerk  to  make  a  careful  search  and  he  has 
reported  that  while  he  found  many  statements  from  Webster 
indicating  that  he  was  opposed  to  the  extention  of  the  boundary 
of  the  United  States  westward,  he  has  not  found  the  exact  pas- 
sage. .  .  .  The  Record  Clerk  tells  me  that  in  those  days 
they  had  not  developed  the  science  of  stenography  to  such  an 
extent  that  verbatim  reports  of  speeches  could  be  made,  but 
that  the  matter  of  reporting  the  debates  was  in  the  hands  rf 
certain  newspapers  who  undertook  to  make  fairly  accurate  re- 
ports." 


54  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

Another  appraisement  of  the  west,  from  an  altogether 
reliable  source,  however,  affords  still  more  striking 
short-sightedness  upon  the  part  of  its  author.  There 
was  great  opposition  to  the  holding  of  the  "western  wild- 
erness" in  the  Union.  This  was  voiced  in  1825,  by 
Senator  Dickerson,  of  New  Jersey,  who  said,  in  debate: 

"But  is  this  Territory  of  Oregon  ever  to  become  a 
State?  Never.  .  .  .  The  distance  .  .  .  that 
a  member  of  Congress  of  this  State  of  Oregon  would 
be  obliged  to  travel  in  coming  to  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment and  returning  home  would  be  9,300  miles.  .  . 
If  he  should  travel  at  the  rate  of  30  miles  per 
day,  it  would  require  306  days.  Allow  for  Sun- 
days, 44,  it  would  amount  to  350  days.  This  would 
allow  the  member  a  fortnight  to  rest  himself  at 
Washington  before  he  should  commence  his  journey 
home.  This  traveling  would  be  hard,  as  a  greater 
part  of  the  way  is  exceedingly  bad,  and  a  portion 
of  it  over  rugged  mountains,  where  Lewis  and  Clark 
found  several  feet  of  snow  in  the  latter  part  of 
June.  Yet,  a  young  able-bodied  senator  might  travel 
from  Oregon  to  Washington  and  back  once  a  year; 
but  he  could  do  nothing  else.  It  would  be  more 
expeditious,  however,  to  come  by  water  around  Cape 
Horn,  or  to  pass  through  Behring  Strait,  round  the 
north  coast  of  this  continent  to  Baffin  Bay,  thence 
through  Davis  Strait  to  the  Atlantic,  and  so  on  to 
Washingon.  It  is  true,  this  passage  is  not  yet  dis- 
covered, except  upon  the  maps,  but  it  will  be  as 
soon  as  Oregon  shall  be  a  State."2 

2See  guide  book  of  the  Western  United  States,  Part  B.  The 
Overland  Route,  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  Geo.  Otis  Smith,  director, 
1916.  This  guide  is  to  be  found  in  the  Overland  Limited  trains 
of  the  U.  P.  System.  It  proved  strikingly  amusing  to  the  writer, 


And  Their  Fulfillment  55 

In  striking  contrast  with  these  two  estimates  placed 
upon  the  great  west  by  men  in  a  position  to  reflect  the 
best  opinions  of  their  day,  we  will  place  the  Prophecy 
of  Joseph  Smith  concerning  what  he  saw  his  people  be- 
come in  the  "worthless  wilderness  of  the  west." 

Under  date  of  August  6,  1842,  the  following  entry 
appears  in  the  official  History  of  the  Church : 

"Saturday,  6.  Passed  over  the  river  to  Montrose, 
Iowa,  in  company  with  General  Adams,  Colonel 
Brewer,  and  others,  and  witnessed  the  installation  of 
the  officers  of  the  Rising  Sun  Lodge,  Ancient  York 
Masons,  at  Montrose,  by  General  James  Adams,  Dep- 
uty Grand-Master  of  Illinois.  While  the  Deputy 
Grand  Master  was  engaged  in  giving  the  requisite  in- 
structions to  the  Master-elect,  I  [Joseph  Smith]  had 
a  conversation  with  a  number  of  brethren  in  the 
shade  of  the  building  on  the  subject  of  our  persecu- 
tions in  Missouri,  and  the  constant  annoyance  which 
has  followed  us  since  we  were  driven  from  that 
state.  /  prophesied  that  the  Saints  would  continue 


reading  it  as  he  did,  while  gliding  over  the  great  "western 
wilderness"  at  the  rate  of  50  miles  per  hour  in  a  handsomely 
equipped  observation  car,  and  bored  with  the  tediousness  of  the 
journey,  at  that.  And,  as  if  to  accentuate  the  ridiculousness 
of  the  forecast  of  Senator  Dickerson,  as  he  "dipped  into  the 
future"  the  writer  had  laid  aside  the  daily  papers  of  July,  1919, 
announcing  the  success  of  Alcock  and  Brown  in  their  flight 
across  the  Atlantic  in  a  machine  in  sixteen  hours  twelve  min- 
utes and  the  dirigible  U  34  which  had  sailed  through  the  over- 
hanging Atlantic  clouds  and  rain  from  Halifax  to  Scotland  in 
seventy-five  hours.  These  achievements  of  the  twentieth  century 
air-men  made  the  "able-bodied  senator"  with  his  "fortnight's  rest 
before  returning  home  again" — "traveling  30  miles  per  day"— 
a  grotesque  and  archaic  picture,  indeed. 


56  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

to  suffer  much  affliction  and  would  be  driven  to 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  many  would  apostatize,  oth- 
ers would  be  put  to  death  by  our  persecutors  or  lose 
their  lives  in  consequence  of  exposure  or  disease, 
and  some  of  you  will  live  to  go  and  assist  in  making 
settlements  and  build  cities,  and  see  the  Saints  be- 
come a  mighty  people  in  the  midst  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains." 

That  Joseph  Smith  had  no  private  source  of  informa- 
tion concerning  this  western  country  is  apparent  to  all 
students  of  the  heroic  story  of  the  "winning  of  the  west." 
It  was  humanly  impossible  for  him  to  foretell  the  possi- 
bilities of  a  country  so  vaguely  conceived  and  of  which 
there  was  such  meagre  knowledge.  Here  is  a  glimpse  of 
the  real  situation  regarding  the  knowledge  of  the  west  in 
Joseph  Smith's  time: 

General  Granville  M.  Dodge,  chief  engineer  of  the 
Union  Pacific  during  the  period  of  construction,  in  his 
eleven  large  volumes,  says,  in  speaking  of  the  Overland 
Trail: 

"This  route  was  made  by  the  buffalo,  next  used  by 
the  Indians,  then  by  the  fur  traders,  next  by  the  Mor- 
mons, and  then  by  the  overland  immigrants  to  Cali- 
fornia and  Oregon.  It  was  known  as  the  great  Platte 
Valley  route.  On  this  trail,  or  close  to  it,  were  built 
the  Union  and  Central  Pacific  railroads  to  Califor- 
nia and  the  Oregon  Short  Line  branch  of  the  Union 
Pacific  to  Oregon.  Its  history  as  a  definite  route 
seems  to  have  begun  in  1804,  when  Lewis  and  Clark 
visited  and  described  the  locality  that  became  the 
eastern  terminus.  A  fur  trading  company  sent  out 
by  John  Jacob  Astor,  in  1810,  which  founded  Asto- 


jCopyriirlit  Secured.] 


HISTORY  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH. 


JULY, 


An  earthquake  was  recently  Mi  in  Dumblane 
Cathedral,  near  Confine,  Scotland* 
!  .'Monday,  August  1.  —  A  most  disgraceful  riot 
is  reported  to  have  comma  ced  in  Philadelphia, 
between  the  colored  ;md  white  people,  which 
continued  three  or  four  days, 

Wednesday,  3.-  —  In  the  city,  transacting  a 
variety  of  business  in  company  with  General 
James  Adams  and  others.  Biigadier  General 
Wilson  Law  elected  ALjor  General  of  the  Nau- 
voo  Legion  (by  a  small  majority  over  Lyrnan 
in  pluc;>  of  J.  C.  Bennett  cashiered.  .  _ 


Saturday,  6.—- -Parsed   over  the  river  to  Mon- 

trose,   Iowa,   in  company  with   General  /\dams, 

.Colonel  Brewer,   and   others,  and  witnessed   the 

installation    of  the    officers    of    the    Ri.-ing   Sun 

Lodge*  of  Ancient  York  Masons,  at  Montroso,  by 

Geuerat  James  Adorns,  Deputy  Grand   Master  of 

Illinois.     While  the   Deputy  Grand   Master- was 

fcugaged  in  giving  the  requi-ite  instructions  to  the 

Master  elect,  [  hud  a  conversation  with  a  number  of 

brethren  in  the  shade  of  fh«  building  on  the  subject; 

of  our  persecutions  in  Missouri,  mid  the  ('uuhttnt : 

aunoyuuCe  which  has  followed   us  since  we  v  ore  j 

driven  from  that  State.     J   prephrcied   tint  f lie  j 

saints  would  continue    to  rnfTer  inuch  c-iUicl.ion  j 

and  would  be  driven   to   the  Rocky  MotinUtlas,! 

many  would  apostatize  others   would  bt  put  to .j 

tteiith  by  our  persecutors,   or   !o^   tu^ir  lives  in 

consequence  of  exposure  or  dis^:i^e,-  and  sotrje.pf  i 

you  will  live   to  1:0  and   assist  fiijnakirinfsettjtvj 

inents  and  buiid  cities,  and  see  tiie  s-i-^s  become  j 

a  mighty  people  in  the  midst  of  iiio  iiocky  Moun-  j 


Prophecy  of  Joseph  Smith  concerning  the  Saints  becoming  "a 
mighty  people  in  the  midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains"  taken  from 
the  Deseret  News  of  November  7,  1855. 


58  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

ria,  Ore.,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  the 
following  year,  returned  by  a  route  which  had  never 
before  been  traversed,  but  which  corresponded  essen- 
tially with  that  later  known  as  the  Oregon  Trail. 
Astor  had  planned  a  line  of  trading  posts  extending 
from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  Pacific,  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  and  China,  but  the  war  of  1812  put  a  stop  to 
his  schemes.  About  1824,  William  H.  Ashley  and 
Etienne  Provost  [Note  the  origin  of  two  well  known 
Utah  names,  viz.,  Ashley  and  Provo],  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Fur  Trading  Company,  discovered  South 
Pass,  which  made  permanent  the  mountain-crossing 
route,  of  the  Oregon  Trail,  and  later  attracted  the 
Union  Pacific  locating  parties." 

General  Dodge  says  further: 

"In  1843  the  pathfinder,  General  John  C.  Fremont, 
began  to  spy  out  the  military  way  across  the  West, 
and  the  same  year  the  Oregon  pioneers  took  the  first 
wagons  westward  to  the  Pacific.  The  trail  that  be- 
gan with  the  journey  of  those  early  pioneers  was 
widened  and  deepened  by  the  wheels  of  the  Mormons 
in  1Q47,  and  when  the  herald  of  the  first  California 
Golden  Age  sent  forth  a  trumpet  call  in  1849,  heard 
around  the  world,  the  trail  was  finished  from  Great 
Salt  Lake  across  the  mountains  to  the  sea." 

Fremont's  great  exploration  expedition  was  conducted 
in  1842  and  1843.  His  remarkable  topographical  map 
describing  the  daring  and  intelligent  explorer's  journey 
bears  the  date  of  1843.  On  page  160  of  his  report,  pub- 
lished by  the  government,  March  3rd,  1845,  he  cautious- 
ly gives  this  information  concerning  the  country: 

"Taking  leave  at  this  point  of  the  waters  of  Bear 
River,  and  of  the  Geographical  Basin  which  encloses 


And  Their  Fulfillment  59 

the  system  of  rivers  and  creeks  which  belong  to  the 
Great  Salt  Lake,  and  which  so  richly  deserves  a  future 
detailed  and  ample  exploration,  I  can  say  of  it,  in 
general  terms,  that  the  bottoms  of  this  river  [Bear] 
and  some  of  the  creeks  which  I  saw,  form  a  natural 
resting  and  recruiting  station  for  travelers,  now  and 
in  all  time  to  come.  The  bottoms  are  extensive; 
water  excellent;  timber  sufficient;  the  soil  good,  and 
well  adapted  to  the  grains  and  grasses,  suited  to  such 
an  elevated  region.  A  military  post,  and  a  civilized 
settlement,  would  be  of  great  value  here;  and  cattle 
and  horses  would  do  well  where  grass  and  salt  so 
much  abound.  The  lake  will  furnish  exhaustless  sup- 
plies of  salt.  All  the  mountain  sides  are  covered 
with  a  valuable  nutritious  grass,  called  bunch  grass, 
from  the  form  in  which  it  grows,  and  has  a  second 
growth  in  the  fall.  The  beasts  of  the  Indians  were 
fat  upon  it;  our  own  found  it  a  good  subsistence; 
and  its  quantity  will  sustain  any  amount  of  cattle, 
and  make  this  truly  a  bucolic  region." 

On  page  276  of  the  same  work,  General  Fremont  gives 
a  partial  description  of  that  region  of  country  lying 
west  of  Salt  Lake  Valley  and  extending  through  the 
western  part  of  what  is  now  the  State  of  Utah,  through 
Nevada  and  over  into  the  Sierra  Nevada,  towards  Cali- 
fornia, known  as  the  Great  Basin. 

"Of  its  interior  little  is  known.  It  is  called  a 
desert,  and,  from  what  I  saw  of  it,  sterility  may  be 
its  prominent  characteristic;  but  where  there  is  so 
much  water  there  must  be  some  oasis.  The  great 
river,  and  the  great  lake,  reported,  may  not  be  equal 
to  the  report;  but  where  there  is  so  much  snow,  there 
must  be  streams;  and  where  there  is  no  outlet,  there 


60  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

must  be  lakes  to  hold  the  accumulated  waters,  or 
sands  to  swallow  them  up.  In  this  eastern  part  of 
the  Basin,  Sevier,  Utah,  and  Great  Salt  Lakes  [note 
the  names  applied  to  these  bodies  of  water  at  that 
early  date — 1842-3],  and  the  rivers  and  creeks  fall- 
ing into  them,  we  know  there  is  good  soil,  and  good 
grass,  adapted  to  civilized  settlements." 

In  making  his  survey  of  the  Fremont  Island,  General 
Fremont  and  his  party  thought  themselves  the  first  to 
explore  the  lake  and  its  islands.  This  interesting  medi- 
tation was  recorded  in  his  journal  while  making  the  sur- 
vey: 

"We  felt  pleasure  in  remembering  that  we  were 
the  first  who,  in  the  traditionary  annals  of  the  coun- 
try, had  visited  the  islands,  and  broken,  with  the 
cheerful  sound  of  human  voices,  the  long  solitude  of 
the  place." 

It  might  also  be  observed  that  the  description  of  the 
Bear  River  country  was  made  on  the  very  date  that 
Joseph  Smith  made  his  prophecy  concerning  his  people 
going  to  the  "midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains."  So,  it  was 
impossible  for  the  Prophet  to  be  in  possession  of  Fre- 
mont's estimate  of  a  meagre  part  of  the  great  west  as 
early  as  1842.  The  report  was  not  published  until  three 
years  afterwards. 

That  Joseph  Smith  and  his  associates  contemplated 
migration  with  their  people  to  the  west  is  well  known  to 
students  of  Church  history.  But  the  idea  of  making 
their  abiding  place  here  did  not  take  definite  shape  until 
after  this  prediction.  Then  it  became  more  assured  than 
a  plan  or  a  policy, — it  was  a  divine  decree  to  them.  It 
was  their  destiny. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  61 

That  the  Mormon  leaders  subsequently  had  access  to 
the  reports  and  maps  of  General  Fremont  there  is  also 
ample  evidence.  In  a  letter  written  to  Joseph  Smith  by 
Orson  Hyde,  dated  April  26th,  1844,  at  Washington,  D. 
C.,  where  he  and  Parley  P.  Pratt  were  endeavoring  to  se- 
cure governmental  aid  in  the  migration  to  the  west,  Mr. 
Hyde  makes  this  report  on  the  advice  of  Senator  Stephen 
A.  Douglas  with  respect  to  the  great  westward  move  of 
the  Latter-day  Saints: 

"We  have  this  day  had  a  long  conversation  with 
Judge  Douglas.  He  is  ripe  for  Oregon  and  Califor- 
nia. He  said  he  would  resign  his  seat  in  Congress  if 
he  could  command  the  force  that  Mr.  Smith  could, 
and  would  be  on  the  march  to  the  country  in  a 
month.  .  .  . 

"Judge  Douglas  says  he  would  equally  as  soon  go 
to  the  country  without  an  act  of  Congress  as  with; 
and  in  five  years  a  noble  state  might  be  formed;  and 
if  they  would  not  receive  us  into  the  Union,  we  would 
have  a  government  of  our  own." 

Regarding  the  maps  and  other  descriptive  matter  per- 
taining to  the  country  the  letter  continues: 

"Judge  Douglas  has  given  me  a  map  of  Oregon, 
and  also  a  report  on  the  exploration  of  the  country 
lying  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains  on  the  line  of  the  Kansas  and  the  great 
Platte  Rivers,  by  Lieut.  J.  C.  Fremont,  of  the  corps 
of  Topographical  Engineers.  On  receiving  it  I  ex- 
pressed a  wish  that  Mr.  Smith  could  see  it.  Judge 
Douglas  says,  'It  is  a  public  document,  and  I  will 
frank  it  to  him.'  I  accepted  his  offer,  and  the  book 


62  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

will  be  forthcoming  to  you.  The  people  are  so  eager 
for  it  here,  that  they  have  stolen  it  out  of  the  library. 
The  author  is  Mr.  Benton's  son-in-law  (John  C.  Fre- 
mont). Judge  Douglas  borrowed  it  from  Mr.  Ben- 
ton.  I  was  not  to  tell  any  one  in  this  city  where  I 
got  it.  The  book  is  a  most  valuable  document  to  any 

one  contemplating  a  journey  to  Oregon 

Judge  Douglas  says  he  can  direct  Mr.  Smith  to  sev- 
eral gentlemen  in  California  who  will  be  able  to  give 
him  any  information  on  the  state  of  affairs  in  that 
country:  and  when  he  returns  to  Illinois,  he  will  visit 
Mr.  Smith." 

The  journal  of  Heber  C.  Kimball  affords  reliable  in- 
formation on  this  interesting  subject: 

"Nauvoo  Temple,  December  31st,  1845.  President 
Young  and  myself  are  superintending  the  operations 
of  the  day,  examining  maps  with  reference  to  select- 
ing a  location  for  the  Saints  west  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  reading  the  various  works  which  have  been 
written  and  published  by  travelers  in  those  regions." 
(See  "Whitney's  History  of  Utah,"  page  239.) 

These  valuable  documents  undoubtedly  were  of  great 
assistance  to  the  Mormon  pioneers  in  making  their  dif- 
ficult journey  out  west  some  two  years  later.  But  that 
they  had  any  effect  upon  the  prophetic  declaration  of 
Joseph  Smith,  no  one  can  claim.  It  was  impossible, 
made  so  by  a  period  of  two  or  three  years.  Perhaps 
General  Fremont's  reports  were  as  optimistic  as  any  that 
could  be  obtained  on  the  subject.  After  the  great  mi- 
gration westward  was  begun,  all  manner  of  discouraging 
reports  greeted  the  band  of  pioneers  while  on  their 


And  Their  Fulfillment  63 

journey,  even  down  to  the  end.  On  June  21st,  just  one 
month  before  the  first  company  reached  Salt  Lake  Val- 
ley, they  were  told  by  Major  Moses  Harris,  at  Pacific 
Springs,  that  the  Valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  was  sandy 
and  destitute  of  timber  and  vegetation,  excepting  sage- 
brush." 

On  June  28th,  they  were  met  by  the  famous  Colonel 
James  Bridger,  at  the  fort  that  takes  his  name.  Along 
with  much  information  given  by  the  old  scout  he  ven- 
tured the  consolatory  advice  that  it  would  be  unwise  to 
"bring  a  large  colony  into  the  Great  Basin  until  it  had 
been  proven  that  grain  could  be  raised  there."  He  said 
that  he  would  give  a  thousand  dollars  for  the  first  ear 
of  corn  ripened  in  the  Great  Salt  Lake  Valley. 

In  the  light  of  these  facts,  though  very  superficially 
set  forth,  does  not  the  prophecy  of  Joseph  Smith  stand 
out  as  something  infinitely  superior  to  the  wisdom  and 
foresight  of  man?  His.  prediction  runs  directly  contrary 
to  the  judgment  of  well  informed  men,  men  who  were  ac- 
credited with  superior  foresight  and  intelligence.  It  even 
defied  and  ignored  the  judgment  and  advice  of  men  fa- 
miliar with  the  country  by  years  of  residence  in  it. 

The  value,  as  a  prophecy,  must  be  determined  by  the 
fact  that  it  was  made  and  publicly  known  a  reasonable 
time  prior  to  the  event  it  foretold.  The  earliest  printed 
publication  of  this  prophecy,  known  to  the  writer,  is  to 
be  found  in  the  Deseret  News,  in  1852.  It  was  published 
in  its  regular  order  as  the  History  of  the  Church  ap- 
peared in  that  paper.  We  have  not  had  access  to  the 
original  record  as  kept  by  the  Prophet,  containing  this 
remarkable  prophecy.  We  have,  however,  irrefutable  ev- 
idence which  fixes  the  date  of  the  prophecy  some  years 
before  the  Saints  even  started  west.  As  evidence  of  the 
highest  value  we  refer  to  the  diary  of  Anson  Call,  who 


64  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

was  present  at  the  time  the  prophecy  was  made.  We 
submit  an  extract  from  the  diary,  which  was  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  writer  by  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Israel  Call, 
of  Bountiful,  Utah,  a  son  of  the  pioneer  of  Davis  County. 
This  diary  of  Anson  Call  was  commenced  at  Nauvoo,  in 
1839,  and  appears  to  have  been  composed  at  intervals, 
and  not  written  up  daily  as  is  the  practice  of  a  few  di- 
arists. Consequently,  intervening  events  should  be  veri- 
fied as  to  accuracy  of  dates.  In  this  way  we  may  ac- 
count for  an  error  in  the  date  of  the  record  of  the  inci- 
dent under  consideration.  Anson  Call  has  the  event  un- 
der date  of  1843.  On  August  6th,  1843,  Joseph  Smith 
was  in  Nauvoo,  and,  though  indisposed,  attended  meet- 
ings, as  it  was  Sunday.  The  record  of  the  event,  as 
made  by  Mr.  Call,  conforms  so  faithfully  in  every  de- 
tail, excepting  the  date,  that  there  exists  no  doubt  as  to 
the  identity  of  the  one  event  in  both  records.  The  en- 
try of  Mr.  Call  is  as  follows: 

"On  the  14th  of  July  [1843],  in  company  with 
about  50  or  100  of  the  brethren,  we  crossed  the  river 
to  Montrose  to  be  present  at  the  installment  of  a 
lodge  of  the  Masonic  order,  viz.:  The  Rising  Sun.' 
Whilst  together  Joseph,  who  was  with  us,  told  us  of 
many  things  that  should  transpire  in  the  mountains. 
After  drinking  a  draught  of  ice-water,  he  said  breth- 
ren this  water  tastes  much  like  the  crystal  streams 
that  are  running  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  which  some 
of  you  will  participate  of.  There  are  some  of  those 
standing  here  that  will  perform  a  great  work  in  that 
land — pointing  to  Shadrack  Roundy  and  a  number 
of  others  whom  I  have  forgotten.  There  is  Anson,  he 
shall  go  and  assist  in  building  cities  from  one  end 
of  the  country  to  the  other,  and  shall  perform  as 


And  Their  Fulfillment  65 

great  work  as  has  ever  been  done  by  man  so  that  the 
nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  astonished,  and  many  of 
them  will  be  gathered  in  that  land  and  assisting  in 
building  cities  and  temples  and  Israel  shall  be  made 
to  rejoice,  but  before  you  see  this  day  you  will  pass 
through  the  scenes  that  are  but  little  understood  by 
you.  This  people  shall  be  made  to  mourn.  Multi- 
tudes will  die,  many  will  apostatize." 

In  making  record  of  this  occurrence  Joseph  Smith  said, 
Today  I  PROPHESIED."  It  was  not  a  conjecture,  nor  a 
mere  prognostication.  It  was  not  a  vague,  unintelligible 
muttering,  clothed  in  a  dark  and  obscure  symbolism  such 
as  characterizes  the  alleged  manifestations  of  spiritism 
and  other  musty  and  delusive  occult  manifestations.  It 
was  not  spoken  in  secrecy  and  carefully  concealed  in 
fear  of  its  failing  of  fulfillment.  It  was  proclaimed  in 
the  presence  of  fifty  or  a  hundred  men.  It  was  prompt- 
ly recorded  in  the  annals  of  the  Church,  and  in  the 
natural  process  of  publication  it  was  "committed  to 
the  immortal  custody  of  the  press." 

2.    "The  Saints  would  continue  to  suffer  much  afflic- 
tion." 

Two  days  after  the  prophecy  was  made,  Joseph  Smith 
was  arrested  "on  a  warrant  issued  by  Governor  Carlin, 
.  .  .  founded  on  a  requisition  from  Governor  Reyn- 
olds of  Missouri,  upon  the  affidavit  of  ex-Governor 
Boggs,  complaining  of  said  Smith  as  'being  an  accessory 
before  the  fact,'  to  assault  with  intent  to  kill,  made  by 
one  Orrin  P.  Rockwell  on  Lilburn  W.  Boggs,  on  the 
night  of  the  sixth  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1842." 

This  was  but  one  of  a  long  series  of   arrests  which 


66  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

were  farcical  and  illegal  as  well  as  impotent  and 
ridiculous,  except  that  they  greatly  tried  and  distressed 
the  Prophet  and  the  Saints.  He  was  arrested  some  forty- 
nine  times  and  as  many  times  acquitted  as  innocent. 
These  "afflictions"  took  on  very  serious  aspects  as  the 
mob  spirit  ran  riot  in  Missouri  and  Illinois  with  respect 
to  the  Latter-day  Saints.  Smaller  settlements  of  the 
Saints  were  burned,  property  was  appropriated  by  the 
mob,  a  distressed  and  persecuted  people  were  deprived 
of  all  the  rights  of  citizenship,  their  franchise  annulled, 
their  homes  desecrated,  their  property  despoiled,  and 
their  right  to  fair  and  impartial  trial  by  jury  denied. 
They  were  expatriated  and  banished  from  the  confines 
of  the  state  in  which  they  had  lived. 

In  a  high  resolve  to  protect  themselves  from  mob  rule 
and  religious  bigotry  and  hatred  still  more  violent,  the 
city  of  Nauvoo  organized  a  militia.  Then  battles  oc- 
curred, resulting  in  the  destruction  of  thousands  of 
homes  as  well  as  the  ruining  of  "the  City  Beautiful." 
The  Quincy  Whig,  edited  by  Mr.  Bartlett,  writing  of  these 
inhuman  assaults,  said: 

"Seriously,  these  outrages  should  be  put  a  stop  to 
at  once;  if  the  Mormons  have  been  guilty  of  crime, 
punish  them,  but  do  not  visit  their  sins  upon  defense- 
less women  and  children.  This  is  as  bad  as  the  sav- 
ages. .  .  .  It  is  feared  that  this  rising  against 
the  Mormons  is  not  confined  to  the  Morley  settle- 
ment, but  that  there  is  an  understanding  among  the 
antis  in  the  northern  part  of  this  and  Hancock  coun- 
ties to  make  a  general  sweep,  burning  and  destroying 
the  property  of  the  Mormons  wherever  it  can  be 
found." 


And  Their  Fulfillment  67 

As  culminating  evidence  that  this  clause  of  the  proph- 
ecy— "continue  to  suffer  much  affliction"  was  amply 
fulfilled,  let  us  conclude  with  an  extract  from  Bancroft's 
"History  of  Utah,"  page  217: 

"There  is  no  parallel  in  the  world's  history  to  this 
migration  from  Nauvoo.  The  exodus  from  Egypt 
was  from  a  heathen  land,  a  land  of  idolators.  t/>  - 
fertile  region  designated  by  the  Lord  for  his  chosen 
people,  the  land  of  Canaan.  The  Pilgrim  fathers,  in 
fleeing  to  America,  came  from  a  bigoted  and  des- 
potic people — a  people  making  few  pretensions  to 
civil  or  religious  liberty.  It  was  from  these  same 
people  who  had  fled  from  old-world  persecutions 
that  they  might  enjoy  liberty  of  conscience  in  the 
wilds  of  America,  from  their  descendants  and  asso- 
ciates, that  other  of  their  descendants,  who  claimed 
the  right  to  differ  from  them  in  opinion  and  prac- 
tice, were  now  fleeing.  .  .  .  Before  this  the 
Mormons  had  been  driven  to  the  outskirts  of  civiliza- 
tion, where  they  had  built  themselves  a  city;  this 
they  must  now  abandon,  and  throw  themselves  upon 
the  mercy  of  savages." 

3.    "Would  be  driven  to  the  Rocky  Mountains." 

The  Latter-day  Saints  were  expelled  from  Missouri, 
and  were  violently  and  ferociously  "driven"  from  Illi- 
nois. Suggestions  were  made  that  they  go  out  west  and 
establish  a  country  of  their  own.  These  suggestions  were 
reinforced  with  the  fury  of  the  mob,  the  devouring  flame 
and  the  sharp  command  of  musketry.  Dear  old  Aunt 
Bathsheba  Smith,  one  who  had  suffered  in  all  these 
atrocities,  used  to  say,  quoting  her  husband,  George  A. 
Smith:  "We  came  here  willingly,  because  we  had  to," 


68  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

and  they  remained  here  because  there  was  no  other  place 
for  them  to  go.  They  were  driven  to  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. 

4.     Many  would  apostatize." 

"I  will  smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be 
scattered." 

The  culmination  of  persecution  which  was  rapidly 
shaping  for  a  wholesale  banishment  was  too  much  for 
the  faith  of  some  less  valiant  believers.  There  were  also 
Judases  among  the  Saints,  and  these  trying  times  were 
too  severe  a  test  for  the  one  and  too  great  an  opportunity 
for  the  treachery  of  the  other.  Among  the  foremost 
apostates  were  John  C.  Bennett,  the  head  of  a  college; 
James  J.  Strang,  Wm.  and  Wilson  Law,  William  Marks, 
William  Smith,  and  the  brilliant  and  once  prominent 
leader,  Sidney  Rigdon.  These,  with  many  others,  were 
not  equal  to  the  test  of  the  tragic  hour.  After  the  mar- 
tyrdom the  flock  was  scattered,  and  unity  was  only 
brought  about  by  a  divine  manifestation  which  indi- 
cated where  the  authority  and  leadership  in  the  Church 
were  divinely  placed.  There  are  only  a  few  living  to- 
day who  were  witnesses  to  that  divine  interposition.  Sid- 
ney Rigdon  and  other  ambitious  men  aspired  to  leader- 
ship, and  the  flock  for  a  time  was  in  danger  of  being 
scattered  into  confusion.  Disappointed  aspirants  fell 
away  with  their  followers,  with  the  result  that  several 
factions  have  maintained  an  independent,  if  not  a  hos- 
tile attitude  toward  the  One  Church  which  was  never  to 
be  thrown  down  or  given  to  another  people.  There  were 
the  Rigdonites,  Millerites,  Cutlerites,  Smithites,  Herdick- 
ites,  Strangites,  and  the  Reorganized  Church,  the  last 


And  Their  Fulfillment  69 

named  still  maintaining  somewhat  of  a  respectable  show- 
ing in  numbers.3 

5.  "Others  would  be  put  to  death." 

On  June  27th,  1844,  Joseph  Smith  and  his  devoted 
brother  Hyrum  were  shot  to  death  in  Carthage  jail.  John 
Taylor  was  all  but  killed  by  the  same  murderous  mob 
that  attacked  these  prisorers  in  their  defenselessness. 
(Even  the  guaranteed  projection  of  the  State  was  with- 
drawn.) 

At  the  time  of  making  this  great  prophecy,  the  prophet 
perhaps  did  not  think  that  he  was  putting  the  martyr's 
crown  upon  himself,  but  as  time  unfolded  its  fearful 
plans  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  Joseph  knew  that 
his  testimony  was  to  be  "signed  and  sealed"  in  his  own 
blood.  As  the  end  approached  he  unquestionably  knew 
"where  a  testament  is,  there  must  also  of  necessity  be 
the  death  of  the  testator.  For  a  testament  is  of  force 
after  men  are  dead:  otherwise  it  is  of  no  strength  at  all 
while  the  testator  liveth."  (Heb.  9:16,  17.) 

In  the  battle  of  Nauvoo,  Sept.  12,  1846,  William  An- 
derson and  his  son  Augustus  were  shot  by  the  mob. 
Other  lives  were  sacrificed  upon  the  altar  of  human  big- 
otry and  outlawry. 

6.  "Lose  their  lives  in  consequence  of  exposures  and 

disease.9' 

The  final  withdrawal  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  from  the 

3Inasmuch  as  the  genuineness  of  this  great  prophecy  is  estab- 
lished, and  inasmuch  as  time  has  vindicated  its  inspiration,  should 
not  our  "Reorganized"  brethren  see  that  the  hand  of  God  still 
points  to  the  "midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains"  as  the  place  where 
his  Saints  were  to  "become  a  mighty  people?"  If  they  desire  to 
abide  in  the  faith  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  should  they  not 
join  his  people? 


70  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

state  of  Illinois  was  brought  about  by  mutual  agreement 
between  the  state  officials  and  others,  and  the  leaders 
of  the  Church.  The  great  exodus  began  February  4th, 
1846.  The  ferries  on  the  Mississippi  were  kept  going 
night  and  day  until  the  river  froze  over.  Passage  was 
then  made  upon  the  ice.  Within  about  ten  days  a  thou- 
sand men,  women  and  children  had  crossed  over  into 
Iowa  with  all  their  earthly  possession  that  could  be 
taken  with  them.  A  camp  was  established  some  nine 
miles  west  of  the  river.  The  ground  was  white  with 
snow,  and  frozen  hard.  It  was  a  bitter  exposure  that 
these  pilgrims  had  to  endure.  On  the  night  of  February 
5th,  in  tents,  covered  wagons,  or  in  rudely  constructed 
huts  of  mud,  or  logs,  nine  babes  were  born. 

About  three  thousand  five  hundred  human  beings,  out- 
casts and  exiles,  were  exposed  to  the  rigors  of  severe 
winter  weather  at  what  was  called  Winter  Quarters,  now 
the  site  of  the  city  of  Florence.  To  house  these  fugi- 
tives, 538  log  and  83  sod  huts  were  provided.  During 
the  winter,  334  of  their  number  were  afflicted  with  dis- 
ease due  to  exposure  and  insanitary  conditions  prevail- 
ing in  the  camp.  There  were  seventy-five  widows  among 
them. 

A  chapter  of  their  history  most  fraught  with  hardship 
and  exposure  is  that  one  which  feebly  tells  of  the  heroic 
journey  of  the  Mormon  Battalion  from  the  Mississippi 
River  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  That  body  of  men  made  the 
first  real  trail  or  road  through  that  great  stretch  of 
country.  Their  perils  and  "exposures"  have  never  been 
adequately  told.  Colonel  Philip  St.  George  Cooke,  com- 
mander of  the  Battalion,  said  of  this  great  march  to  the 
sea:  "History  may  be  searched  in  vain  for  an  equal 
march  of  infantry."  Inadequate  food  supply,  lack  of 
water,  arduous  toil  in  digging  for  it,  and  in  road  build- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  71 

ing,  and  excessive  marching,  caused  untold  suffering, 
sickness  and  death. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  tragedy  of  the  plains  is  that 
known  in  the  history  of  the  pioneers  as  the  hand  cart 
company  disasters.  Eagerness  to  get  to  "Zion,"  in  spite 
of  inadequate  provisions  for  the  journey,  led  a  large 
number  of  the  English  and  other  Saints  to  undertake  the 
journey  across  the  plains  with  hand-carts  in  lieu  of  ox 
teams  and  wagons.  Some  of  the  earlier  companies  got 
through  successfully,  but  the  two  belated  ones  met  with 
a  fate  terrible  to  relate.  In  a  starving  and  freezing  con- 
dition many  of  them  died  on  the  journey.  Of  the  second 
company,  numbering  600,  one-fourth  died  from  these 
causes,  and  their  graves  mark  the  trail  for  hundreds  of 
miles.  Nothing  but  the  promptest  action  upon  the  part 
of  the  leaders  and  the  heroic  men  then  at  Salt  Lake, 
who  went  instantly  to  their  relief  upon  learning  of  their 
distress  saved  them  from  wolves  of  the  plains.  The  re- 
lief companies  went  to  their  rescue  with  team-loads  of 
food,  blankets,  and  other  necessities,  and  saved  the  sur- 
viving members  of  the  companies  from  a  cruel  and  tragic 
death.  To  these  calamities  to  which  the  Saints  were 
subjected  might  be  added  the  conflict  with  Indians,  the 
fight  for  their  lives  against  famine,  and  the  grasshopper 
plague,  and  other  vicissitudes  incident  to  the  conquest 
of  the  west. 

So  that  history  verifies  the  inspiration  of  the  prophecy 
concerning  the  loss  of  life  due  to  "exposure  and  disease." 

7.    Some  of  you  will  live  to  go  and  assist  in  making 
settlements  and  build  cities." 

Of  the  fifty  or  a  hundred  men  who  heard  this  prophecy 
uttered  at  Montrose  on  August  6th,  1842,  it  may  not  be 
definitely  known  how  many  came  to  the  present  state  of 


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74  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

Utah.  A  considerable  number,  however,  are  known  to 
have  participated  in  the  building  of  this  commonwealth 
in  its  larger  aspect.  Samuel  W.  Richards,  Shadrach 
Roundy  and  Anson  Call  were  witnesses  to  the  original 
prediction.  These  three  names  are  interwoven  with  the 
history  of  the  Saints  in  building  this  "inland  empire." 

There  never  was  a  more  conspicuous  fulfillment  of 
prophecy  in  all  history.  Five  or  six  great  States  arise 
majestically  out  of  the  deserts  and  upon  the  mountains 
to  proclaim  its  fulfillment.  In  Utah  alone,  there  are 
twenty-eight  counties,  containing  in  all  four  hundred  and 
twenty-five  cities,  towns  and  hamlets.  Many  of  these 
identical  centers  of  population  were  laid  out,  built  and 
peopled,  in  part,  by  the  very  men  who  heard  the  proph- 
ecy at  Montrose.  Near  half  a  million  people  now  live 
within  this  one  commonwealth  whose  very  existence  here 
is  directly  connected  with  this  remarkable  prophecy. 
Along  with  this  State,  others  have  arisen  of  equal  prom- 
ise and  importance  in  one  way  or  another.  Idaho,  whose 
population  approaches  the  half-million  mark,  with  100,- 
000  people  of  Utah  origin  permanently  abiding  there; 
Arizona,  Wyoming,  Nevada,  Colorado,  California,  all 
containing  generous  numbers  of  descendants  from  the 
founders  of  this  inter-mountain  empire.  The  presence 
of  this  great  populace  in  the  empire  of  the  plains,  pro- 
claims with  the  voice  of  the  millions  the  divine  in- 
spiration of  Joseph  Smith.  Perhaps,  not  one  lives  to- 
day who  heard  the  prediction,  but  all  can  read  it,  and 
the  whole  world  may  behold  its  fulfillment. 

In  the  diary  of  Arson  Call  the  prophet  is  said  to  have 
predicted  that  he  (Call)  would  assist  in  building  cities 
from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other."  As  a  strik- 
ing fulfillment  of  that  particular  prophecy  we  cite  the 
biography  of  Mr.  Call  as  written  for  Tullidge's  History 


And  Their  Fulfillment  75 


of  Northern  Utah  and  Southern  Idaho.  Upon  Mr.  Call's 
arrival  in  what  became  Utah,  he  settled  in  what  is  now 
Davis  County.  His  original  homestead  and  descendants 
are  still  there.  His  worthy  descendants  have  spread  over 
the  whole  county.  In  1850  he  was  settling  in  Little  Salt 
Lake  Valley,  as  well  as  in  Parowan.  He  moved  to  the 
northern  part  of  the  state,  but  was  subsequently  placed 
in  charge  of  a  colonizing  company  of  fifty  families  to 
settle  in  the  Pauvine  Valley.  In  1851  he  assisted  in 
laying  the  foundation  of  the  city  of  Fillmore,  Millard 
County.  There  he  built  roads,  constructed  mills  and  de- 
veloped farms.  In  1854  he  established  Call's  Fort,  in 
Box  Elder  County,  and  in  1856  was  sent  to  Carson  Val- 
ley on  a  great  colonizing  expedition.  He  came  back  to 
Utah  County  in  1858,  and  in  1864  was  engaged  in  col- 
onizing in  Colorado  and  southwestern  Utah.  Tullidge, 
the  historian,  says  of  him:  "Such  men  as  Anson  Call 
make  history.  They  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  col- 
onizing of  new  countries — to  laying  foundations  of  em- 
pires in  a  wilderness."  Speaking  of  Davis  County,  one 
of  the  richest  in  the  state,  he  continues  regarding  the  work 
of  Mr.  Call  thus:  "He  had  been  an  important  factor  in 
the  development  of  its  resources,  and  he  had  arrived  at 
a  period  of  life  when  a  man  is  generally  less  capable  of 
great  and  continued  exertion." 

Joseph  Smith's  prophecy  concerning  the  life's  work 
of  Anson  Call  is  almost  as  complete  a  biography  as  that 
recorded  half  a  century  later  by  the  historian.  What  is 
prophecy  but  history  reversed? 

8.    "And  see  the  Saints  become  a  mighty  people  in  the 
midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains" 

In   analyzing  the  greatness  of  the  people  now  occu- 


76  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

pying  this  inter-mountain  domain,  ore  is  naturally  led 
to  survey  the  vastness  of  their  territory,  and  its  re- 
sources in  mine  and  field,  flocks  and  herds,  forests  and 
watersheds,  etc.,  etc.  While  these  are  indispensable  to 
the  prosperity  of  a  mighty  people  there  are  other  evi- 
dences of  greatness  that  are  more  befitting  the  ideals  and 
aspirations  of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  If  in  these  things 
only  they  were  to  grow  mighty  they  had  failed  of  their 
mission  in  the  world  and  had  put  to  very  mediocre  ac- 
count the  great  opporturity  afforded  by  Providence  in 
giving  to  them  this  country  as  a  home.  We  therefore 
pass  aside  with  mere  mention  the  hundreds  of  millions 
annually  produced  as  manufactured  commodities,  min- 
eral, and  agricultural  products,  its  incomparable  de- 
posits of  coal,  and  iron,  its  mountains  of  copper-bearing 
ore,  regularly  reduced  by  big  smelters,  its  fertile  fields, 
feeding  scores  of  sugar  factories,  and  other  industrial  in- 
stitutions. These  are  all  the  outer  manifestations  of 
greatness.  True  greatness  must  be  spiritual,  to  endure. 
The  people  of  Utah,  particularly  those  of  the  Latter-day 
Saint  persuasion,  are  believers  in  the  family  as  the  cen- 
ter of  civilization  and  the  source  of  happiness  both  here 
and  hereafter.  No  other  state  in  the  union  has  a  larger 
percentage  of  white  girls  and  boys.  No  other  state  in 
the  union  has  provided  a  better  system  of  education  for 
the  youth  than  has  Utah.  And  in  making  these  claims  for 
the  people  of  this  state  we  by  no  means  wish  to  belittle 
the  efforts  in  this  direction  of  those  higher  types  of 
American  manhood  and  womanhood  who  have  done  so 
much  for  the  welfare  of  the  state,  though  they  are  not 
religiously  affiliated  with  the  Latter-day  Saints.  Few 
people,  if  any,  own  there  own  homes  to  a  greater  extent 
than  do  the  people  of  Utah.  Few,  if  any,  have  a  higher 
percentage  of  their  children  in  regular  attendance  at  the 


And  Their  Fulfillment  77 

public  schools.  No  people  on  earth  have  a  greater  re- 
gard for  the  Deity  or  a  higher  regard  for  virtue  and 
chastity  among  men  and  women,  maintaining  a  single 
standard  of  virtue  for  both  sexes.  Few  people,  if  any, 
aspire  higher  than  do  the  Latter-day  Saints  in  education, 
music,  charities,  social  welfare,  and  patriotic  service  to 
country  as  well  as  service  to  humanity.  In  pointing  out 
these  standards  we  are  absolutely  true  to  the  traditions 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints  from  the  time  of  Joseph  Smith 
to  the  present.  In  harmony  with  these  viewpoints  we  in- 
troduce a  refreshing  sentiment  expressed  by  Thomas 
Henry  Huxley  upon  the  occasion  of  his  visit  to  America 
in  1876.  This  observation  was  made  during  an  address 
at  the  founding  of  the  Johns  Hopkins  University: 

"To  an  Englishman  landing  upon  your  shores  for 
the  first  time,  traveling  for  hundreds  of  miles  through 
strings  of  great  and  well-ordered  cities,  seeing  your 
enormous  actual  and  almost  infinite  potential  wealth 
in  all  commodities  and  the  energy  and  ability  which 
turn  wealth  to  account,  there  is  something  sublime  in 
the  vista  of  the  future.  /  cannot  say  that  I  am  in  the 
slightest  degree  impressed  by  your  bigness  or  your 
material  resources  as  such.  Size  is  not  grandeur, 
and  territory  does  not  make  a  nation.  The  great 
issue,  about  which  hangs  a  true  sublimity  and  the 
terror  of  overhanging  fate,  is :  what  are  you  going  to 
do  with  all  these  things?  What  is  to  be  the  end  to 
which  these  are  to  be  the  means?  You  are  making  a 
novel  experiment  in  politics  on  the  greatest  scale 
which  the  world  has  yet  seen.  Truly  America  has  a 
great  future  before  her — great  in  toil,  in  care,  and 
in  responsibility,  great  in  true  glory,  if  she  be  guided 
in  wisdom  and  righteousness,  great  in  shame  if  she 


78  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

fail.  1  cannot  understand  why  other  nations  should 
envy  you  or  be  blind  to  the  fact  that  it  is  for  the  high- 
est interest  of  mankind  that  you  should  succeed;  but 
the  one  condition  of  success,  your  sole  safeguard,  is 
the  moral  worth  and  intellectual  clearness  of  the  in- 
dividual citizen." 

"Size  is  not  grandeur,  and  territory  does  not  make  a 
nation."  In  tragic  verification  of  that  great  truth  be- 
hold Russia  and  then  look  with  envy  upon  Belgium. 
Witness  what  they  were  when  the  supreme  tests  came  to 
both.  So,  no  matter  how  rich  the  country,  how  vast  the 
territory,  the  hand  of  Providence  led  the  exiled  Latter- 
day  Saints  to,  the  whole  affair  is  a  dismal  failure  if 
these  things  ever  become  paramount  with  them.  They 
must  be  secondary.  Otherwise  the  prophet  and  his  fel- 
low-martyrs have  died  in  vain.  We  would  not  say  that 
the  Latter-day  Saints  deserve  all  the  praise  that  has  by 
some  fair-minded  men  been  bestowed  upon  them. 
On  the  other  hand  we  are  quite  certain  that  they  have 
not  merited  all  the  contumely  that  is  even  to  this  day  be- 
ing heaped  upon  them  by  a  few  puerile  assailants.  Our 
opinion  is  that  the  Latter-day  Saints  have  actually  be- 
come ''a  mighty  people,"  and  the  prophecy  of  Joseph 
Smith  in  that  particular  is  in  process  of  complete  ful- 
fillment. As  a  tribute  of  which  any  people  on  earth 
might  be  profoundly  proud,  let  us  here  introduce  a  few 
pages  from  the  Congressional  Record  of  November,  1919. 
They  are,  to  a  measure,  self  explanatory.4 


4The  immediate  circumstances  under  which  these  tributes  were 
paid  to  the  Latter-day  Saints  are  described  as  follows,  in  a  pamph- 
let recently  written  by  Dr.  James  E.  Talmage,  of  Salt  Lake  City; 
entitled  "The  Pittsburgh  Conference  on  'Mormonism :' " 

"As  a  forerunner  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  World's  Chris- 
tian Citizenship  Conference,  held  in  the  early  part  of  November, 


And  Their  Fulfillment  79 


BY  SENATOR  ASHURST,  OF  ARIZONA. 

"Mr.  Ashurst.  Mr.  President,  I  am  very  glad  that 
the  Senator  from  Utah  [Mr.  Smoot]  has  spoken  as 
he  has.  It  was  time  for  such  a  speech.  A  matchless 
maker  of  epigrams  said  that  when  "once  a  lie  or  a 
counterfeit  statement  gets  into  circulation  it  is  well- 
nigh  impossible  to  overtake  it;"  and  therefore  I  be- 
lieve the  Senator  has  done  a  service  to  his  country  in 
exposing  this  infamous  slander,  which  has  been  pub- 
lished broadcast  against  so  many  worthy  people. 

"When  I  read  the  article,  I  felt  offended  because 
there  are  in  Arizona  a  large  number  of  'Mormon' 
people;  or  people  who  belong  to  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints;  and  I  would  be  false  to 
that  principle  of  fair  play  for  which  I  have  always 
pretended  that  I  stood  if  I  failed  at  this  time  to  say  a 
word  on  the  subject. 

"It  may  be  true  that  I  do  not  understand  fully  the 
theology  of  the  Mormon  Church;  but,  Mr.  President, 


1919,  there  were  press  notices  sent  out  and  printed  in  many  papers 
in  the  United  States  containing  false  accusations  against  Utah  and 
the  Latter-day  Saints,  written  by  an  English  novel  writer,  Wini- 
fred Graham,  and  dated  London,  October  21.  The  Commercial 
and  Rotary  Clubs,  and  other  like  organizations  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
demurred  against  the  falsehoods  and  sent  their  protests  to  Senator 
Reed  Smoot  with  a  request  that  he  call  the  attention  of  the  Senate 
of  the  United  States  to  them.  This  he  did  on  November  10,  and 
we  take  pleasure  in  printing  his  speech  and  the  documents  in 
full,  from  the  Congressional  Record  of  November  11;  also  the 
splendid  defense  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  on  the  floor  of  the  Sen- 
ate Chamber  by  Senator  Henry  F.  Ashurst,  of  Arizona,  Senator 
Charles  S.  Thomas,  of  Colorado,  and  Senator  Charles  B.  Hender- 
son, of  Nevada.  It  is  doubtless  the  first  unsolicited  defense  of 
the  Latter-day  Saints  ever  uttered  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
Stats,  and  is  well  deserved.  A  host  of  people  in  the  West  are 
grateful  to  these  gentlemen  for  the  truths  presented  at  the  oppor- 
tune time  and  place." 


80  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

the  first  church  I  ever  attended  was  a  Mormon 
Church.  When  there  was  no  other  church  within  100 
miles  of  the  lonely  frontier  cabin  where  my  parents 
lived,  we  found  solace  and  comfort  in  attending  the 
Mormon  Church  situated  9  miles  distant.  Our  near- 
est— in  fact,  our  only  neighbors  for  years  were  the 
Mormon  people.  Better  neighbors  no  pioneer  ever 
had.  I  am  proud  of  the  Mormon  people.  I  am 
proud  of  the  friendship  that  I  have  for  them,  and 
that  I  believe  they  have  for  me;  and  while,  as  I  said 
before,  I  do  not  completely  understand  their  theol- 
ogy, I  am  able  to  say  here,  in  the  Senate  of  the  Unit- 
ed States,  that  their  church  has  elevated  many  intel- 
lects and  purified  many  hearts  in  my  state. 

"As  pioneers  in  a  new  country,  the  Mormons  are 
unrivaled.  They  are  sober,  industrious,  frugal,  hon- 
est. They  are  pre-eminently  state  builders;  and  to- 
day, if  called  upon  to  name  a  people  who  could  most 
expeditiously  transform  a  desert  of  swirling  and 
heated  sands  into  splendid  fields  and  farms,  I  would 
unhesitatingly  choose  the  Mormon  people.  In  many 
places  where  once  cacti  lifted  their  thorny  arms  into 
the  brazen  and  heated  air,  Mormon  industry  has 
reared  temples,  hospitals,  homes,  factories,  and 
schools. 

"Moreover,  I  never  saw  a  Mormon  I.  W.  W.;  but  I 
have,  at  some  county  courthouses  in  my  state,  heard 
disgruntled,  lazy,  and  indolent  men  who  did  not  be- 
long to  the  Mormon  Church  sit  on  the  steps  of  the 
courthouse  and  curse  the  Government  and  curse  the 
President,  while  Mormon  citizens  were  going  into  the 
same  county  courthouse  to  pay  taxes  without  com- 
plaint. 

"Mr.  Owen.     Mr.  Presdient — 


And  Their  Fulfillment  81 

" 'Mr.  Ashurst.     I  yield  for  a  question. 

"Mr.  Owen.  I  should  like  to  ask  the  Senator  if  it 
is  not  a  tenet  of  the  Mormons  to  teach  and  preach  in- 
dustry and  thrift? 

66 Mr.  Ashurst.  I  am  able  to  state  that  industry 
and  thrift  are  amongst  the  foundation  stones  of  the 
Mormon  Church.  Absolute  and  unquestioned  obedi- 
ence to  law  is  a  tenet  of  the  Mormon  Church.  Re- 
spect for  authority  is  one  of  the  tenets  of  the  Mor- 
mon Church.  We  need  more  of  such  people  in  these 
perilous  times  of  the  Republic;  and  again  I  would 
be  false  to  every  principle  of  justice  and  to  every 
sentiment  of  gratitude  if  I  failed  to  state  at  this 
time  that  when  savage  Indians  galloped  along  by  our 
pioneer  homes,  burning  and  murdering,  plundering 
and  scalping  as  they  went,  it  was  to  the  Mormon 
people  that  my  defenseless  but  heroic  parents  went 
for  refuge  and  defense. 

"So,  Mr.  President,  I  say  the  Senator  from  Utah 
has  done  well  in  'scotching'  this  falsehood,  which 
has  been  given  such  wide  circulation.  I  believe  the 
American  people  are  coming  at  last  fully  to  under- 
stand the  Mormon  people.  Their  temples,  schools, 
fields,  homes,  industry,  frugality,  their  morality  and 
their  patriotism  testify  for  them  in  more  eloquent 
terms  than  the  Senator  or  I  could  speak.  Then, 
again,  observe  their  Representatives  in  the  House  and 
in  the  Senate.  Look  at  the  high  class  of  public  ser- 
vants they  send  here.  I  ask  that  the  Mormons  be 
judged  as  a  people,  judged  as  a  religion,  as  the  Sen- 
ator says,  by  their  fruits;  and  if  they  be  judged  by 
their  fruits  the  verdict  of  the  world  will  be  in  their 
favor. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  the  time  should  be  welcomed 


82  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

in  America  when  men  shall  not  further  be  assailed 
because  of  their  religion  or  lack  of  religion.  Men 
ought  not  further  to  be  assailed  or  discriminated 
against  because  of  their  particular  view  of  how  to 
follow  the  Master.  America  was  built  up,  and  one 
of  the  reasons  why  the  migrations  came  from  the 
old  countries  to  these  shores  was  that  our  ancestors 
desired  to  find  a  place  to  build  free  and  strong  states 
where  such  ignoble  sentiments  as  bigotry  could  not 
survive. 

"Mr.  President,  I  do  not  forget  that  this  splendid 
domain  of  Arizona,  one  of  the  imperial  states  of  this 
Union,  came  into  being  largely  through  the  brave  ex- 
ploits of  the  Mormon  people.  When  Gen.  Stephen 
Kearny  was  beleagured  near  San  Diego  during  the 
Mexican  War,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  Mexicans  were 
going  to  capture  and  annihilate  him  and  his  entire 
command,  it  was  the  Mormon  battalion  that  marched 
all  the  long  way  from  Iowa  into  Tucson,  Ariz.,  and 
occupied  in  Mexican  territory  a  domain  we  now 
know  as  the  Gadsden  Purchase,  which  was  purchased 
by  our  Government  in  1854.  When  the  commanding 
officer,  Lieut.  Col.  St.  George  Cooke,  entered  the 
Mexican  town  of  Tucson  and  raised  the  American 
flag,  he  issued  a  pronunciamento,  and  I  wish  the  Ger- 
man outragers  had  read  that  document  before  they 
invaded  Belgium.  The  lieutenant  colonel  entering 
the  city  of  Tucson,  nearly  1,500  miles  from  civiliza- 
tion, said  in  his  manifesto  to  the  people  of  Mexico: 

"  'We  do  not  war  upon  civilians.  We  make  war 
against  men  in  uniform  only.  The  property  of  indi- 
viduals will  be  held  sacred.  All  civil  rights  will  be 
upheld.  Those  who  obey  the  law  and  conform  to 
order  will  be  protected.' 


And  Their  Fulfillment  83 

"The  command  remained  there  some  days  to  re- 
fresh itself  and  then  marched  on  to  the  relief  of  Gen. 
Kearny,  who,  as  I  said,  was  beleagured  and  sur- 
rounded near  San  Diego. 

"So,  Mr.  President,  the  Mormon  people,  as  pio- 
neers, as  state  builders,  as  statesmen,  as  people  of  in- 
dustry and  patriotism,  in  every  department  of  life, 
compare  well  and  favorably  with  the  general  mass  of 
their  fellow-citizens.  This  much  I  feel  I  should  have 
said;  more  than  that  I  need  not  say. 

"BY  SENATOR  THOMAS,  OF  COLORADO. 

"Afr.  Thomas.  Mr.  President,  I  am  not  and  never 
have  been  a  communicant  of  any  church,  and  if  I  live 
to  be  as  old  again  as  I  am  now,  I  would  not  change. 
In  my  youth  I  was  greatly  impressed  with  a  remark 
of  Gibbon,  that  'all  religions  are  to  the  vulgar 
equally  true,  to  the  philosopher  equally  false,  and  to 
the  statesman  equally  useful,'  and  the  experience  of 
mature  years  has  served  to  deepen  the  impression.  I 
have  never  been  able  to  reconcile  the  tenets  and  doc- 
trines of  all  religious  faiths  with  that  spirit  of  persecu- 
tion and  fanaticism  they  develop  toward  each  other, 
and  which  has  so  many  times  culminated  in  destruc- 
tive and  decimating  wars.  I  believe  in  religious  tol- 
eration, without  any  conditions  whatever,  except 
those  required  by  thje  tenets  of  morality  and  of  law 
and  order.  Hence  I  have  remained  aloof  from  iden- 
tification with  any  faith. 

"Up  to  this  time  I  have  never  found  occasion  to 
publicly  defend  the  Mormon  people,  because  it  has 
not  seemed  necessary;  but  I  can  not  allow  the  oc- 
casion to  pass  without  paying  tribute  to  their  moral- 


84  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

ity  and  usefulness,  not  only  to  their  own  communi- 
ties, but  as  exemplars  to  the  whole  country  in  peril- 
ous times  like  these. 

"Mr.  President,  when  respect  for  the  law  is  the  ex- 
ception and  not  the  rule,  when  the  different  forces 
of  society  are  so  antagonistic  that  the  political  struc- 
ture is  menaced  with  danger,  it  is  refreshing  to  note 
that  the  adherents  of  this  faith  have  at  all  times  been 
the  advocates  and  the  exponents  of  peace,  of  justice, 
of  law,  and  of  order;  and  however  just  the  criticisms 
aimed  against  former  institutions,  the  fact  remains, 
as  established  by  more  than  half  a  century  of  prac- 
tice, that  the  communities  professing  the  Mormon 
faith  are  among  the  best  and  highest  exemplars  of 
American  citizenship. 

"During  the  war  there  was  much  disloyalty  in 
America.  Scarcely  any  commonwealth  was  entirely 
free  from  it.  During  the  war  resistance  to  the  draft 
occasionally  punctuated  our  dispatches,  and  the  ex- 
pression of  toleration  or  friendliness  to  the  enemy 
was  one  of  the  commonest  of  occurrences.  But  dur- 
ing that  critical  period  upon  no  occasion  which  I  can 
remember  did  the  people  of  Utah,  Mormon  and  Gen- 
tile, fail  to  whole-heartedly,  loyally,  and  enthusias- 
tically respond  to  every  call  made  by  the  Government 
for  soldiers  or  for  money.  Not  in  a  single  instance 
did  this  people  falter.  Their  splendid  youth  were 
given  freely  to  our  armies,  and  the  blood  of  their 
boys  sanctifies  the  soil  of  every  battle  field  in 
France. 

"Every  loan  drive  was  responded  to,  not  by  the 
quota,  but  far  beyond  it,  and  in  everything  that  con- 
tributed to  good  citizenship,  to  patriotism,  to  loyalty, 
and  to  love  of  country,  these  people  were  ever  con- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  85 

spicuous;  and  it  is  due  to  them,  as  one  of  the  repre- 
sentatives from  a  neighboring  state  wherein  many 
of  these  people  are  located,  and  are  among  our  best 
citizens,  that  I  should  say  so. 

"We  have  not  many  Mormons  in  the  State  of  Col- 
orado. Some  years  ago  a  settlement  was  established 
in  what  is  known  as  the  San  Luis  Valley.  It  has 
grown,  it  has  flourished,  it  is  prosperous.  Its  people 
are  law-abiding,  they  are  industrious,  they  are  hard 
working,  they  pay  their  debts,  they  obey  and  support 
the  authorities.  Bolshevism,  anarchism,  and  social- 
ism are  foreign  to  the  atmosphere  of  that  community. 
They  can  not  take  root  in  such  a  soil. 

"These  people  are  today,  therefore,  one  of  the  pil- 
lars of  the  social,  economic,  and  political  systems  of 
the  country,  whose  removal  might  imperil  the  entire 
structure  of  our  social,  economic,  and  political  life. 
Their  faith  I  am  not  concerned  with;  their  character 
and  their  achievements  are  a  credit  to  them  and  an 
incalculable  benefit  to  the  country. 

"BY   SENATOR   HENDERSON,    OF   NEVADA. 

" Air.  Henderson.  Mr.  President,  I  wish  to  express 
my  approval  of  and  join  in  all  that  has  been  said  by 
the  senior  Senator  from  Colorado  [Mr.  Thomas]  rel- 
ative to  those  of  the  Mormon  faith.  We  have  in  east- 
ern Nevada  a  number  of  Mormon  settlements.  I  have 
visited  a  number  of  them.  I  wish  to  say  that  there 
are  no  better  citizens  in  the  country  than  those  of  that 
faih.  In  one  community  that  I  know  of,  established 
over  40  years  ago,  there  has  never  been  a  jail.  I  be- 
lieve that  is  true  of  the  others.  These  people  never 
have  any  use  for  jails.  Where  they  go,  law  and 


86  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

order  prevail,  and  thrift  and  economy  are  taught  and 
practiced. 

"Mr.  President,  the  record  of  the  Mormon  people, 
throughout  the  war,  has  been  without  a  blemish. 
Their  sons  were  amongst  the  first  to  enlist  and  their 
quota  was  quickly  filled.  They  over-subscribed  their 
proportion  of  Liberty  bonds.  Their  patriotism  h~" 
been  of  the  highest  order  and  without  question. 

"There  is  much  that  can  be  said  in  their  favor,  Mr. 
President,  but  I  shall  not  detain  the  Senate  longer, 
as  there  are  some  Senators  waiting  to  address  the 
Senate  on  the  proposed  reservation  to  Article  10.  I 
am  glad,  however,  of  the  opportunity  to  express  my 
disapproval  of  the  attack  directed  against  the  Mor- 
mons referred  to  by  the  Senator  from  Utah  [Mr. 
Smoot]." 

In  the  light  of  these  glowing  tributes  are  we  not  justi- 
fied in  the  conviction  that  politically,  industrially,  so- 
cially, intellectually  and  religiously,  the  Latter-day 
Saints  have  become  "a  mighty  people  in  the  midst  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains"? 

TRIBUTE    OF    WILLIAM    JENNINGS    BRYAN    TO    THE    LATTER- 
DAY   SAINTS. 

And  to  these  complimentary  remarks  may  we  be  per- 
mitted to  reprint  an  impromptu  tribute  paid  to  the  same 
people,  just  the  other  day,  at  Salt  Lake  City,  by  Mr. 
William  Jennings  Bryan?  Mr.  Bryan  had  attended  one 
of  the  sesssions  of  the  General  Conference  of  the  Church. 
After  the  regular  services  had  been  dismissed,  an  organ 
recital  was  tendered  the  distinguished  visitor,  to  which 
he  responded: 

"Mr.  Bryan  said  the  truths  he  had  heard  expounded 


And  Their  Fulfillment  87 

there  that  day  he  should  endeavor  to  carry  with  him 
throughout  his  life,  and  he  believed  that  through  him 
many  people  might  hear  the  truth  concerning  'Mor- 
monism,'  for  he  would  endeavor  to  give  an  exposi- 
tion of  what  he  had  heard,  in  plain  truth,  to  the  peo- 
ple with  whom  he  associates.  Mr.  Bryan  said  he  had 
been  undecided  about  coming  to  Salt  Lake.  He  had 
been  asked  to  speak  in  Los  Angeles  Monday,  but  he 
had  obeyed  a  whim,  almost,  and  had  come  to  Salt 
Lake,  he  did  not  know  why.  But  now,  he  said,  he  be- 
lieved it  was  providential.  At  any  rate,  he  said,  he 
had  heard  truths  u'tered  that  impressed  him  deeply 
and  he  knows  now  he  is  better  equipped  to  perform 
his  work  in  the  world  for  having  heard  'Mormonism' 
expounded.  Particularly  was  he  impressed,  Mr. 
Bryan  said,  with  the  'Mormon'  belief  in  the  personal- 
ity of  God.  It  is  a  beautiful  belief,  he  said,  and  one 
by  which  the  world  might  profit.  He  referred  to  the 
application  of  the  Gospel  in  the  lives  of  the  'Mor- 
mon' people  and  said  such  principles  applied  to  the 
problems  of  the  world,  would,  in  very  deed,  solve  the 
difficulties  with  which  the  world  is  beset.  He  re- 
ferred to  the  single  standard  of  morality,  as  ex- 
pounded by  one  of  the  speakers,  and  said  that  in  very 
truth  that  is  a  principle  that  might  well  be  applied  to 
the  lives  of  all  men."  (Taken  from  the  daily  press 
reports.) 

TRIBUTE    OF    FRANKLIN    K.    LANE,    FORMERLY    SECRETARY 
OF  THE  INTERIOR. 

In  an  article  written  for  the  National  Geographic 
Magazine,  June  1920,  entitled  "A  Mind's-Eye  Map  of 
America,"  Franklin  K.  Lane,  formerly  Secretary  of  the 


88  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

Interior,  has  this  to  say,  under  the  heading,  "What  the 
Mormons  have  done  for  Utah:" 

"Never  speak  disrespectfully  of  the  Mormon 
Church.  It  has  as  law-abiding,  steady,  hard-working, 
kindly  a  group  of  people  in  Utah  as  will  be  found 
anywhere  this  round  globe  over.  Brigham  Young 
may  not  have  been  a  prophet  of  Almighty  God,  but 
he  worked  a  miracle  when  he  crossed  from  the  Mis- 
souri River  over  that  desert,  leading  his  band  of  a 
few  hundred  followers  with  their  push-carts,  going 
out  into  that  unknown  waste,  and  turned  the  land 
that  lies  around  Salt  Lake  City  into  a  garden. 

"I  brought  from  Egypt  several  years  ago  the  great- 
est irrigation  expert  in  the  world,  perhaps,  the  man 
who  built  the  Assuan  dam  upon  the  Nile — Sir  Wil- 
liam Willcocks,  the  man  who  claims  to  have  discov- 
ered where  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  located,  at  the 
junction  of  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates  rivers — and  I 
sent  him  to  look  over  the  irrigation  enterprises  of 
the  United  States,  and  he  said:  'Nowhere  else  have  I 
seen  people  who  understand  so  wisely  how  to  apply 
water  to  land  as  around  Salt  Lake  City.' " 

That  a  mighty  people  is  really  living  here  in  these 
Rocky  Mountains  let  us  here  present  the  opinion  of  an 
authority  on  the  subject,  the  venerable  Dean  of  Amer- 
ican educators,  Dr.  A.  E.  Winship,  editor  of  the  Journal 
of  Education,  Boston.  After  a  careful  study  of  educa- 
tional matters  in  Utah  for  nearly  half  a  century,  during 
which  time  scores  of  visits  had  been  made  to  this  state, 
Dr.  Winship,  upon  the  occasion  of  the  enactment  of 
Utah's  new  educational  laws,  published  a  booklet  in  ap- 
preciation of  them.  This  publication  is  titled,  "Utah's 
Educational  Leadership."  In  sending  this  booklet  to 


Their  Fulfillment 


89 


EDITORIAL   BOOMS 

JOURNAL  OF  EDUCATION 

•  BXAOOV  •TKXXT 
BOSTON 


am  sending  you  a  Bulletin  wh 
Y  th'ink,  the  most  important  writ 
Y  have  ever  done.   Utah  has  placed  her- 
self at  the  head  of  the  procession  but 
it  will  be  a  tragedy  if  she  is  not  followed 
by  every  state  in  the  union  in  h.er  noble 
effort  to  save  from  waywardness  all  young 
men  and  women  up  to  eighteen  years  of  age 
through  the  public  schools. 
Sincerely , 


Tribute  to  the  State  of  Utah  with  respect  to  its  Educational 
Laws,  by  Dr.  A.  E.  JPinship,  of  Boston,  1920. 


90  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

the  educators  of  the  country,  the  doctor  introduces  the 
message  thus: 

"I  am  sending  you  a  Bulletin  which  is,  I  think,  the 
most  important  writing  I  have  ever  done.  Utah  has 
placed  herself  at  the  head  of  the  procession,  but  it 
will  be  a  tragedy  if  she  is  not  followed  by  every 
state  in  the  union  in  her  noble  effort  to  save  from 
waywardness  all  young  men  and  women  up  to  eigh- 
teen years  of  age  through  the  public  schools. 
"Sincerely, 

"A.  E.  WINSHIP." 

On  the  occasion  of  the  N.  E.  A.  Convention  being  held 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  in  1920,  the  doctor  published  the  fol- 
lowing leading  editorial  in  his  Journal,  in  the  four  is- 
sues for  June: 

'Why  go  to  Salt  Lake  City?" 

"You  can  get  more  for  your  money  in  a  regular 
excursion  railroad  ticket  to  Salt  Lake  City  than 
to  any  city  in  America. 


"No  place,  not  on  the  sea  shore,  offers  equally 
good  day  excursions. 

"No  other  city  offers  such  a  luxury  as  bathing 
in  the  Great  Salt  Lake. 

"No  other  city  offers  as  good  an  auditorium  for 
a  large  audience. 

"No  other  city  and  state  presents  as  good  a  dem- 
onstration of  marvelous  achievement  through  com- 
munity co-operation. 

"Utah  has  made  greater  strides  in  the  funda 
mentals  of  public  school  education  in  thirty  years 
than  has  any  other  state  in  the  union. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  91 

"Only  one  state  east  of  the  Mississippi  has  as 
high  rank  in  the  fundamentals  of  public  school  edu- 
cation as  has  Utah,  and  only  one  other  state  east 
of  the  Missouri  river  ranks  as  high. 

"Utah  leads  every  state  in  the  union  in  public 
school  laws  that  make  for  morality. 

"Utah  is  the  first  state  in  the  union  to  have  a 
public  school  law  that  eliminates  loafing  of  young 
people  up  to  eighteen  years  of  age. 

"Utah  is  the  first  state  in  the  union  to  have  state 
laws  to  establish  public  school  responsibility  for 
all  young  people  under  eighteen  years  of  age. 

"//  you  desire  an  opportunity  to  study  the  work- 
ing of  the  best  public  school  laws  in  America  go  to 
the  National  Educational  Association,  July  5-9 
[1920]." 

\ 

Again,  let  us  say  that  these  achievements  for  which 
the  people  of  Utah  are  given  credit  have  been  attained 
by  the  co-operation  of  all  peoples  living  within  the  state 
without  regard  to  creed  or  race  or  social  caste.  It  might, 
in  fairness  be  said,  however,  that  the  co-operative  spirit, 
and  the  splendid  organization  and  educational  ideals 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints  have  been  great  factors  in 
getting  these  results.  At  any  rate,  there  is  a  people  liv- 
ing out  here  in  the  very  "midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains" 
who  have  drawn  from  remote  and  cultured  Boston  this 
great  tribute.  It  must  be  a  mighty  people  who  can  so 
move  the  enlightened,  discriminating  mind  of  Dr.  A.  E. 
Winship.  Perhaps  these  people  in  Utah  are  not  the 
"mighty  people"  that  the  writer  thinks  them  to  be  but  all 
will  admit  they  have  received  one  of  the  very  highest 
compliments  that  could  be  paid  to  a  people.  What 
higher  or  more  worthy  aspiration  could  a  people  have 


92  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

than  that  of  educational  supremacy?  Especially,  if  that 
educational  supremacy  means  the  making  of  men  first 
and  scholars  secondly. 

It  should  be  stated  that  the  Latter-day  Saints  main- 
tain a  score  of  high  schools,  academies  and  some  higher 
institutions  of  learning  such  as  the  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity at  Provo,  and  the  Brigham  Young  College  at 
Logan.  Within  the  Church,  and  following  its  organiza- 
tions everywhere,  are  auxiliary  institutions,  whose  activ- 
ities are  so  diversified  as  to  provide  well  planned 
courses  of  study  and  specific  lines  of  activity  for  every 
member  of  the  Church  from  the  little  children  to  the 
venerable  parents.  These  organizations  are:  The  Relief 
Society — a  charity  institution  composed  of  women  ex- 
clusively and  organized  by  Joseph  Smith  in  the  year 
1842;  the  Sunday  Schools,  the  Young  Men's  Mutual 
Improvement  Associations,  the  Young  Ladies'  Mutual 
Improvement  Associations,  the  Primary  Association,  and 
the  Religion  Classes — a  sort  of  supplement  to  the  public 
schools  which  provide  moral  and  religious  training  of 
children  for  one  or  two  hours  a  week  after  the  close  of 
school.  Other  societies  also  operate  in  specialized  lines, 
such  as  the  Genealogical  Societies.  The  male  member- 
ship of  the  Church  is,  almost  without  exception,  allotted 
among  the  various  orders  of  the  Priesthood.  These  "quo- 
rums" are  perfectly  organized  and  hold  weekly  meet- 
ings during  which  specific  courses  of  studies  are  pur- 
sued under  competent  class  leadership.  The  practical 
duties  of  the  Priesthod  are  also  given  opportunity  for 
exercise  either  in  these  meetings  or  in  connection  with  the 
"quorum"  activities  through  the  week.  The  labors  of 
the  members  are  reported  at  these  meetings. 

The  subjects  studied  and  put  into  practice  by  these 
several  organizations  embrace  the  whole  moral  code, 


And  Their  Fulfillment  93 

running  from  the  first  principles  of  faith  to  the  most  ad- 
vanced theology.  They  comprehend  the  duties  of  citizen- 
ship, the  laws  of  health,  home  economics,  social  service, 
scout-craft  for  boys  and  girls,  the  problems  of  social  bet- 
terment and  recreation,  and  the  more  advanced  methods 
of  relief  and  charity  work.  In  this  way  the  whole  round 
of  life's  needs  are  provided  for  and  a  full  and  live  mem- 
bership in  the  Church  implies  a  virile  and  spirited  activ- 
ity in  at  least  a  few  of  these  organizations. 

As  an  agency  of  enlightenment  and  progress  we  might 
mention  the  great  missionary  system  carried  on  by  the 
Church.  In  normal  times  the  Church  annually  sends  out 
into  the  missions  of  the  world,  approximately  one  thou- 
sand missionaries.  For  the  most  part,  these  are  young 
•men,  who  cheerfully  respond  to  a  call  to  go  to  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth  at  their  own  expense  and  spend 
from  two  to  three  years  in  the  service  of  the  Master. 
Some  young  women  are  sent  into  the  missions  who  thus 
have  opportunities  of  travel  and  contact  with  the  world 
equal  to  that  of  the  young  men.  This  proselyting  system 
Ijas  become  a  fixed  institution  in  the  Church.  The 
younger  members  look  to  it  as  an  experience  of  highest 
value  to  them.  It  is  an  invaluable  part  of  their  religious 
education  and  intellectual  development.  While  these 
missionaries  go  out  into  the  world  with  something  of 
great  value  to  offer,  they  bring  back  much  that  is  of 
value  to  their  people.  Two  or  three  years  mingling 
with  foreign  or  remote  peoples,  whose  institutions  and 
beliefs  are  matters  of  constant  study  and  discussion,  could 
not  fail  to  have  a  broadening  and  enlightening  effect  up- 
on the  youth  so  engaged. 

"There  is  no  school  that  disciplines  the  mind, 
And  broadens  thought  like  contact  with  mankind.** 


94  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

These  are  the  agencies  that  make  the  Latter-day  Saints 
a  cosmopolitan  people  rather  than  a  provincial  one. 
Stagnation  follows  isolation.  Mingling  in  the  great  cur- 
rents of  the  world's  endeavor  mean  progress  and  enlight- 
enment. Thus  the  activities  and  requirements  of  the 
Church  provide  a  progressive  occupation  in  the  whole 
circle  of  human  activities.  Every  talent,  every  degree  of 
intelligence,  every  power  developed  to  its  highest  point 
of  efficiency  is  set  to  work  in  the  activities  of  the  Church 
for  the  betterment  of  the  general  membership  and  the 
good  of  mankind. 

One  of  our  educators  made  this  observation : 

"A  careful  study  of  the  work  done  in  the  organ- 
izations of  the  Church  described  herein  will  dis- 
close a  system  of  real  education  perhaps  without  a 
parallel.  The  variety  of  work  and  the  amount  of  re- 
sponsibility that  almost  every  member  of  the  Church 
carries  is  well  calculated  to  develop  all  its  powers. 
Such  a  system  in  time  would  produce — not  one  or 
two  extraordinary  characters — but  a  commonwealth 
of  more  than  usual  ability.  It  should  elevate  nearly 
all  its  members  far  above  the  average,  and  make 
a  citizenship  most  desirable. 

"The  amount  of  work  done  gratis,  if  paid  for  in 
cash  at  a  fair  valuation  would,  without  doubt,  ex- 
ceed $10,000,000  a  year,  or  more  than  $30  for  each 
man,  woman  and  child  in  the  Church.  Where  is 
there  another  people  whose  desire  for  advancement 
is  proved  by  such  generosity?" 

"A  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit,  neither 
can  a  corrupt  tree  bring  forth  good  fruit." 


And  Their  Fulfillment  95 

The  last  Article  of  Faith  in  the  creed  of  the  Latter-day 
Saints  reads  thus: 

"We  believe  in  being  honest,  true,  chaste,  benevo- 
lent, virtuous,  and  in  doing  good  to  all  men;  in- 
deed we  may  say  that  we  follow  the  admonition  of 
Paul,  We  believe  all  things,  we  hope  all  things, 
we  have  endured  many  things,  and  hope  to  be  able 
to  endure  all  things.  If  there  is  anything  virtuous, 
lovely,  or  of  good  report  or  praiseworthy,  we  seek 
after  these  things." 

Do  not  the  following  facts,  authorized  by  the  Utah 
State  Board  of  Health,  reveal  the  underlying  principles 
of  the  lives  of  these  people? 

In  the  matter  of  birth-rate  the  Latter-day  Saints  are 
fifty  per  cent  higher  than  the  general  average  of  the 
United  States,  in  marriage,  twenty  per  cent  higher.  The 
divorce  rate  of  the  United  States  is  two-and-half  times 
that  of  the  Latter-day  Saints;  the  death  rate  is  fourteen 
per  thousand,  while  with  the  Latter-day  Saints  during  the 
nine  years  last  past  it  is  only  eight  per  thousand.  The 
average  age  at  death  in  the  United  States  is  thirty-two; 
the  average  among  the  Latter-day  Saints  is  nearly  forty, 
or  twenty-five  per  cent  higher — an  adding  of  eight  years 
to  the  life  of  man. 

These  are  the  tangible  results  of  proper  living.  It 
isn't  climate,  or  wealth,  or  physical  occupation  that  has 
wrought  the  achievement.  It  is  religion  applied  in  the 
daily  walks  of  life.  Where  men  carry  the  spirit  of  the 
above  article  of  faith  with  them  from  the  home  to  their 
work  and  return  with  it  to  their  homes  where  it  has  a 
permanent  abiding  place,  there  you  will  find  the  days 
of  man  lengthened  and  filled  the  while  with  blessing. 


96  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

Here  is  an  instance  where  a  religion  finds  free  ex- 
pression in  the  entire  lives  of  its  votaries.  It  has  made 
them  pre-eminently  temperate.  The  petty  vices  are  still 
largely  resisted.  Nation  after  nation  is  now  abolishing 
the  causes  of  debauchery  which  this  people  in  God's 
name  proclaimed  against  a  generation  ago.  Virtue  is 
held  as  paramount  in  old  and  young.  Common  honesty 
is  the  basis  of  all  conduct.  The  family  group  is  H 
kingdom  of  eternal  promise  and  the  source  of  eternal 
glory.  The  love  of  home  and  the  love  of  country,  so 
closely  akin,  make  the  good  citizen.  The  love  of  chil- 
dren, and  their  proper  care  and  education,  make  the 
enduring  state.  These  are  the  characteristics  of  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints.  Must  not  any  people  become  mighty  in 
the  earth  that  adhere  to  principles  like  these? 

9.     "Many  nations  shall  be  gathered  in  that  land." 

As  early  as  1860  this  graphic  description  of  the  many 
peoples  represented  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  settlements 
was  made  by  the  historian  Bancroft: 

"To  the  student  of  humanity  there  were  few 
richer  fields  for  study  than  could  be  found  at  this 
period  in  the  "Mormon"  capital,  where  almost  ev- 
ery state  in  the  union,  and  every  nation  in  Europe 
had  its  representatives.  There  were  to  be  seen  side 
by  side  the  tall,  sinewey  Norwegian,  fresh  from  his 
pine  forests,  the  phlegmatic  Dane,  the  stolid,  prac- 
tical German,  the  dapper,  quick-minded  Frenchman, 
the  clumsy,  dogmatic  Englishman,  and  the  shrewd, 
versatile  American." 

From  that  day  until  the  present,  the  "many  nations" 
have  in  increasing  numbers  and  variety  been  gathering 


And  Their  Fulfillment  97 

in  "that  land."  From  far-off  India,  Japan  and  China; 
from  the  Russias  and  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  and  the 
South  Seas  there  has  been  a  continuous  stream  flowing 
into  the  "midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains."  From  all  the 
European  countries,  as  well  as  from  the  several  states 
of  our  own  union,  men  and  women  continue  to  come  in 
quest  of  homes,  or  health,  or  wealth,  or  religious  affilia- 
tion. The  peopling  of  this  region  has  been  rapid,  in- 
deed. There  are  in  the  several  states  comprising  the 
Rocky  Mountain  country  more  than  three  millions  of 
people.  In  Europe  such  a  growth  would  require  a  mil- 
lennium, while  here  it  is  an  attainment  of  less  than  a 
century. 

10.     "Building  cities  and  temples." 

The  building  of  settlements  and  cities  has  brought 
about  the  creation  of  a  great  inland  empire — known  to 
all  the  world  today.  The  aspirations  of  the  Latter-day 
Saints  have  by  no  means  found  full  realization  in  these 
material  things.  Their  highest  aims  are  essentially 
spiritual.  From  the  very  beginning,  and  that,  too,  at 
great  personal  sacrifice,  in  a  worldly  sense,  they  have 
constructed  beautiful  and  costly  temples.  Within  six 
years  after  their  arrival  in  the  valley  of  the  Great  Salt 
Lake  they  laid  the  foundations  of  a  temple  that  required 
forty  years  to  complete  and  cost  three-and-a-half 
millions  of  dollars.  This  great  enterprize  was  under- 
taken by  a  people  without  capital,  without  credit  and 
with  a  wilderness  to  subdue  before  they  could  even  make 
their  homes  a  certainty.  Could  greater  exhibitions  of 
faith  and  spirituality  be  found? 

Before  its  completion  three  other  temples,  less  pre- 
tentious, but  nevertheless  very  worthy  structures,  were 


.s 


I 

"S 

a 


100  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

built — in  St.  George,  Logan  and  Manti.  Then  followed 
the  two  temples  undertaken  almost  simultaneously,  viz: 
the  Hawaiian  at  Laie,  Oahu,  and  the  Canadian  at  Cards- 
ton.  In  addition  to  these  very  handsome  and  costly 
edifices  the  plans  are  well  under  way  for  another  tem- 
ple to  build  at  Mesa,  Arizona.  So,  a  generation  has 
scarcely  passed  until  this  prophecy  concerning  temple 
building  is  adequately  fulfilled,  and  temple  building  is 
by  no  means  at  an  end. 

11.     "And  Israel  be  made  to  rejoice." 

In  the  fulfillment  of  this  very  remarkable  prophecy  we 
behold  the  unfolding  of  the  purposes  of  God  with  respect 
to  the  gathering  of  modern  Israel.  "The  Valleys  of  the 
Mountains"  immediately  became  the  gathering  place  for 
the  Saints  who  heard  the  voice  of  the  true  Shepherd  as  he 
called  through  the  voices  of  his  messengers,  thus:  "Come 
out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins, 
and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues."  Joseph  Smith  de- 
clared this  entire  land  of  America  to  be  the  "Land  of 
Zion,"the  gathering  place  of  the  Saints  in  the  dispensation 
of  the  "fulness  of  times."  With  these  great  events  now  in 
full  view,  we  see  the  fulfillment,  not  of  Joseph  Smith's 
prophecies  alone,  but  of  the  prophecies  of  the  holy  men 
of  old  who  spoke  as  they  were  moved  upon  by  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

Of  these  great  events  the  Hebrew  Prophet  Isaiah  pro- 
claimed: 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  that  the 
mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall  be  established  in 
the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  shall  be  exalted  above 
the  hills;  and  all  nations  shall  flow  unto  it. 

"And  many  people  shall  go  and  say,  Come  ye,  and 


And  Their  Fulfillment  101 

let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the 
house  of  the  God  of  Jacob;  and  he  will  teach  us  of 
his  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths:  for  out  of 
Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law,  and  the  word  of  the 
Lord  from  Jerusalem." 

And   again : 

"And  he  will  lift  up  an  ensign  to  the  nations  from 
afar,  and  will  hiss  unto  them  from  the  end  of  the 
earth;  and  behold  they  shall  come  with  speed 
swiftly;  .  .  . 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that  the 
Lord  shall  set  his  hand  again  the  second  time  to 
recover  the  remnant  of  his  people,  which  shall  be 
left,  from  Assyria  and  from  Egypt,  and  from  Path- 
ros,  and  from  Gush,  and  from  Elam,  and  from  Shi- 
nar,  and  from  Hamath,  and  from  the  islands  of  the 
sea. 

"And  he  shall  set  up  an  ensign  for  the  nations, 
and  shall  assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  and  gather 
together  the  dispersed  of  Judah  from  the  four 
corners  of  the  earth." 

Again : 

"Fear  not:  I  am  with  thee:  I  will  bring  thy  seed 
from  the  east,  and  gather  thee  from  the  west;  I  will 
say  to  the  north,  Give  up;  and  the  south,  Keep  not 
back;  bring  thy  sons  from  afar,  and  thy  daughters 
from  the  ends  of  the  earth; 

"Even  every  one  that  is  called  by  my  name;  for 
I  have  created  him  for  my  glory,  I  have  formed  him; 
yea  I  have  made  him." 

Jeremiah,   speaking   of  Israel's   ultimate   redemption, 
prophesied : 


102  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


"Behold,  I  will  gather  them  out  of  all  countries, 
whither  I  have  driven  them  in  my  anger,  and  in  my 
fury,  and  in  great  wrath;  and  I  will  bring  them 
again  unto  this  place,  and  I  will  cause  them  to  dwell 
safely ; 

"And  they  shall  be  my  people  and  I  shall  be  their 
God." 

Again    from    Jeremiah : 

"In  those  days,  and  in  that  time,  saith  the  Lord, 
the  children  of  Israel,  shall  come,  they  and  the  chil- 
dren of  Judah  together.  goinir  and  weeping;  they 
shall  go,  and  seek  the  Lord  their  God. 

"They  shall  ask  the  way  to  Zion  with  their  f 
thitherward,  saying,  Come  let  us  join  ourselves  to 
the  Lord  in  a  perpetual  covenant  that  shall  not  be 
forgotten." 

Again    from   Ezekiel : 

"For  thus  saith  the  Lord.  God.  Behold,  even  I. 
will  bo'h  search  my  sheep,  rnul  seek  them  out. 

"As  a  shepherd  seeketh  on*  his  flock,  in  the  day 
that  he  is  among  his  sheep  that  are  scattered:  so 
will  I  seek  out  mv  sheep,  and  will  deliver  them  out 
of  all  places  where  they  have  been  scattered  in  the 
cloudy  and  dark  day. 

"Ard  I  will  brinor  them  out  from  the  people,  and 
gather  them  from  the  countries,  and  will  bri^g  them 
to  their  own  lands,  and  feed  them  upon  the  moun- 
tain? of  Israel  by  the  rivers,  and  in  the  inhabited 
places  of  the  country. 

"I  will  feed  them  in  a  <rood  pasture  and  upon  the 
high  mountains  of  Israel  shall  their  fold  be:  there 


And  Their  Fulfillment  103 

shall  they  lie  in  a  good  fold  and  in  a  fat  pasture 
shall  they  feed  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel. 

No  better  recapitulation  of  the  fulfillment  of  this  very 
great  prophecy  could  be  made  than  the  mere  restatement 
of  the  prophecy  itself: 

/  prophesied  that  the  Saints  would  continue  to  suffer 
much  affliction — and  would  be  driven  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains — many  would  apostatize — others  would  be  put 
to  death  by  our  persecutors — or  lose  their  lives  in  con- 
sequence of  exposure  or  disease — and  some  of  you  will 
go  and  assist  in  making  settlements  and  build  cities — 
and  see  the  Saints  become  a  mighty  people  in  the  midst 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  prophecy  is  both  epilogue  and  prologue.  Three- 
quarters  of  a  century  recorded  aforetime  in  ten  lines. 
They  contain  the  tragedy  of  human  woe — man's  inhuman- 
ity to  man — the  fierceness  of  human  intolerance — the  he- 
roic achievement  under  stress  of  necessity — the  failure  of 
some  under  strain — fortitude  to  highest  victory  in  mar- 
tyrdom— sacrificial  victims  on  the  altar  of  human  bigotry 
— the  goal  of  achievement  won  by  courageous  persever- 
ance— an  empire  rising  out  of  the  vales  and  crowning 
the  peaks  where  all  but  the  Prophet  saw  vast  worthless 
wastes. 

Time — truth — triumph. 

Another  prophecy  concerning  the  deliverance  of  the 
Saints  from  the  oppression  of  their  intolerant  foes  was 
made  by  Joseph  Smith  on  February  25,  1844.  In  re- 
cording the  occurrences  at  an  evening  prayer  meeting 
the  Prophet  wrote: 

"I    gave   some   instructions    and   prophesied   that 
within  five  years  we  would  be  out  of  the  power  of 


104  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

our  enemies,  whether  they  were  apostates,  or  of  the 
world,  and  told  the  brethren  to  record  it,  that  when 
it  comes  to  pass,  they  cannot  say  they  had  forgotten 
the  saying."  (Vol.  6,  p.  225,  Church  History.) 

This  prophecy  is  to  be  found  regularly  recorded  in 
the  annals  of  the  Church.     It  appeared  in  its  chronolog- 


\      President  Foung^went  to  KnowltonV settle- 
ment on  Bear  Creek,  and  preached. 
i      Sunday, -25. —  I    preached    at    the    Temple 
Block.     Ilynim  also  preached. 

Evening1    1  attended  prayer    rneiding    i;\  UH- 
Assembly   Room.       We    prayed     that    "<i< 
;  Smith's  views  of  the  powers  and  policy  of  the 
|  United  States"  might  be  Fpread   far  and.  wide, 
•  and  be  the  means  of  opening  the  hearts  of  the 
i  people. .    I  gave  some   important  instri}cti< 
i  and  prophesied  that  within  five  years  we  should 
be  out  of  the  power  of  our  old  enemies,  whether 
they  werr  ap^sUitrs  r,r   of  the*  world,  and  told 
I  the  brethren  tore  .  that  when  it  cornea 

i  to  pass  th^y  need  not  say  they  had  forgotten 
ing. 

i  in  iri  the  ev^ninur;  cloudy  and  fo«i;g\\ 
Monday^  26.--rAt  home,  a  cold  wind  frun* 
th»'  i.^rth.      Kainy?  dull  d.iV. 
t  In  ih-  Id  court  at  the  Mansion, 

[    t.»f   JVauvoo  vs.    Orsimus.     F.  Bostwick, 
<MI  conjplajnt  OL  Hyriim  Smith,  for  el anderoua 


Prophecy  of  Joseph  Smith  concerning  the  Saints  being  out  of 
the  power  of  their  "old  enemies"  within  five  years  from  February 
25th,  1844.  This  prophecy  was  published  in  the  Deseret  News,  in 
the  regular  course  of  the  Church  History,  which  was  being  pub- 
lished in  that  paper.  This  reproduction  was  taken  from  the 
of  June  3,  1857. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  105 

ical  place  in  every  printed  history  running  through  the 
various  periodicals  in  which  the  history  was  at  first  pub- 
lished. We  reproduce  the  print  as  it  appeared  in  the 
Deseret  News,  in  1857. 

Five  years  from  that  date,  February  25,  1844,  the 
headquarters  of  the  Church,  and  many  thousand  of  its 
members,  were  safely  located  in  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
beside  the  Great  Inland  Sea.  They  were  fully  one  thou- 
sand miles  from  their  hostile  neighbors  of  Missouri  and 
Illinois  who  had  driven  them  out  into  the  wilderness. 
Yet  they  had  a  different,  but  no  less  determined  foe  to 
overcome.  For  about  this  time  they  were  battling  for 
their  existence  in  the  great  grasshopper  war.  In  that 
tragic  conflict  every  vestige  of  their  substance  was  dread- 
fully threatened.  But  they  were  literally  separated  by  a 
thousand  miles  of  trackless  waste  from  their  human  en- 
emies. There  were  not  even  vindictive  apostates  to  assail 
or  betray.  "They  were  out  of  the  power  of  their  en- 


emies! 


f" 


106  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


America— The  Cradle  of  Humanity 

"We  have  obtained  a  Land  of  Promise, 
A  land  which  is  choice  above  all  other  lands. 
If  iniquity  shall  abound,  cursed  shall  be  the  land. 
But  unto  the  righteous  it  shall  be  blessed  forever." 

— Book  of  Mormon. 

From  time  immemorial  the  Garden  of  Eden  has  been 
regarded  as  having  been  somewhere  on  the  eastern 
hemisphere.  Within  recent  times  its  location  has  been 
supposedly  determined.  Biblical  traditions  seemed  to 
place  it  in  those  parts  with  which  the  Bible-reading  world 
was  familar,  and  very  naturally  so.  The  New  World  was 
entirely  out  of  consideration  in  connection  with  such 
matters  for  obvious  reasons. 

Science  and  revelation  are  free.  They  are  not  bound 
by  tradition.  Their  objectives  are  truth  and  light. 
Their  mission  seems  to  be  the  breaking  down  of  false 
traditions  and  ridding  the  world  of  error.  Of  the 
two,  revelation  is  infallible,  while  science  is  hon- 
estly striving  as  hand-maid  to  truth.  True  science  and 
revelation  are  always  in  harmony,  though  the  former 
may  require  time  to  reach  the  perfect  development  of  the 
truth  that  the  latter  releases  as  a  flood  of  light  decend- 
ing  from  heaven. 

In  a  revelation  given  to  Joseph  Smith,  March  28, 
1835,  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  the  following  appears: 

"Three  years  previous  to  the  death  of  Adam,  he 
called  Seth,  Enos,  Cainan,  Mahalaleel,  Jared,  Enoch, 
and  Methuselah,  who  were  all  High  Priests,  with 
the  residue  of  his  posterity  who  were  righteous,  into 


And  Their  Fulfillment  107 

the  valley  of  Adam-ondi-Ahman,  and  there  bestowed 
upon  them  his  last  blessing. 

"And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  them,  and  they  rose 
up  and  blessed  Adam,  and  called  him  Michael,  the 
Prince,  the  Archangel. 

"And  the  Lord  administered  comfort  unto  Adam, 
and  said  unto  him,  I  have  set  thee  to  be  at  the  head — 
a  multitude  of  nations  shall  come  of  thee,  and  thou 
art  a  prince  over  them  forever. 

"And  Adam  stood  up  in  the  midst  of  the  congre- 
gation, and  notwithstanding  he  was  bowed  down  with 
age,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  predicted  what- 
soever should  befall  his  posterity  unto  the  latest  gen- 
eration. 

"These  things  were  all  written  in  "the  book  of 
Enoch,  and  are  to  be  testified  of  in  due  time." 

In  section  116  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  the  ex- 
act location  of  Adam-ondi-Ahman  is  placed  by  revela- 
tion at  Spring  Hill,  Davis  county,  Missouri. 

Thus  revelation,  without  regard  to  time-honored  tra- 
dition, proclaims  America  as  the  land  whereon  man 
made  his  advent. 

To  science  the  question  may  still  be  an  open  one,  she 
always  opens  the  door  to  truth  but  seldom  closes  it. 

It  is  interesting  to  discover  what  the  disclosures  of 
science  are  in  this  connection.  With  no  attempt  at 
anything  like  a  thorough  survey  of  the  great  field  of 
speculation  and  knowledge  on  the  subject,  we  introduce 
here  some  statements  which  seem  to  generously  support, 
if  not  completely  confirm,  the  revelation  given  to  Jo- 
seph Smith  on  the  matter. 

Agassiz,   the   great   American    scientist,   eloquently 
speaks  thus  on  the  subject: 


108  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

"First  born  among  the  continents,  though  so 
much  later  in  culture  and  civilization  than  some  of 
more  recent  birth,  America,  so  far  as  her  physical 
history  is  concerned,  has  been  falsely  denominated 
the  New  World.  Hers  was  the  first  dry  land  lifted 
out  of  the  waters,  hers  the  first  shore  washed  by  the 
ocean  that  enveloped  all  the  earth  beside;  and 
while  Europe  was  represented  only  by  islands  ris- 
ing here  and  there  above  the  sea,  America  already 
stretched  an  unbroken  line  of  land  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  the  far  west." 

Writing  of  the   antiquity   of  man   in   America,   John 
Fiske,  in  his  "Discovery  of  America,"  says: 

"It  is  altogether  probable  that  the  people  whom 
the  Spaniards  found  in  America  came  by  migra- 
tion from  the  old  world.  But  it  is  by  no  means 
probable  that  their  emigration  occurred  within  so 
short  a  period  as  five  or  six  thousand  years.  A 
series  of  observations  and  discoveries  kept  up  for 
the  last  half  century  seem  to  show  that  North  Amer- 
ica has  been  continuously  inhabited  by  human  beings 
since  the  earliest  Pleistocene  times,  if  not  earlier." 

Writing  on  the  same  subject,  Thomas  Jefferson,  said: 

"I  suppose  the  settlement  of  our  continent  is  of  the 
most  remote  antiquity;  the  similitude  between  its  in- 
habitants and  those  of  the  eastern  part  of  Asia, 
render  it  probable  that  ours  are  descended  from 
them,  or  they  from  ours.  The  latter  is  my  opinion, 
founded  on  this  single  fact.  Among  the  red  in- 
habitants of  Asia  there  are  but  few  languages  radi- 
cally different;  but  among  our  Indians,  the  number 


And  Their  Fulfillment  109 

of  languages  is  infinite,  which  are  so  radically  dif- 
ferent as  to  exhibit  at  present  no  appearance  of  their 
having  been  derived  from  a  common  source.  The 
time  necessary  for  the  generation  of  so  many  lan- 
guages must  be  immense." 

Commenting  on  Mr.  Jefferson's  deductions,  the  Ameri- 
cana proceeds  with  this  contribution  to  the  subject: 

"Since  his  time,  however,  scientific  research,  in  its 
wonderful  progress,  has  developed  other  reasons  for 
the  truth  of  the  theory.  Scientists  have  examined, 
in  America,  the  skeletons  of  past  geological  ages 
and  the  remains  of  dead  human  beings  which  gave 
evidence  of  as  early  existence  here  as  any  yet  found 
outside  of  America.  ...  As  early,  however,  as 
they  indicate  the  presence  of  man  in  the  eastern 
hemisphere,  there  have  been  findings  of  his  relics 
and  his  bones  in  America,  which  show  his  presence 
here  as  early,  if  not  earlier.  Evidences  of  man  in 
America  during  the  Quaternary  age,  which  some 
geologists  estimate  as  two  hundred  thousand  years 
ago,  while  others  make  the  time  much  longer,  have 
been  found  in  the  sands  and  gravels  drifted  by  gla- 
cial currents  and  in  localities  with  surroundings 
possibly  indicating  the  Tertiary  age.  .  .  .  They 
were  found  imbedded  in  the  sands  and  gravel,  which 
clearly  indicated  that  they  had  reposed  undisturbed 
ever  since  they  had  been  deposited  there  by  the  gla- 
cial flood  which  deposited  the  sands  and  pebbles 
around  them.  The  hard  stone  of  which  they  had 
been  made  could  not  have  been  worn  or  chipped 
into  the  shape  they  bore  by  any  force  except  that  of 
the  hand  of  man,  and  hence  it  is  inferred  that  man 
was  there  when  the  current  of  the  melting  ice  of  the 


110  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

early  glacial  period  bore  them  there.  This  would 
take  man  back  thousands  of  years  beyond  the  Qua- 
ternary age  to  his  possible  existence  in  America  in 
the  Tertiary  age. 


"America  possibly  had  citizens  to  spare  while  the 
eastern  hemisphere  was  void  of  inhabitants." 

This  article  thus  concludes: 

"In  the  midst  of  these  perplexities,  we  can  have 
no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  power  which  is  said  to 
have  created  man  in  Asia  might  have  created  him 
elsewhere,  and  placed  him  in  habitable  quarters  in 
America  before  any  part  of  the  eastern  hemisphere 
was  ready  for  his  occupancy.  The  first  formed  rocks 
which  have  yet  been  seen  upon  the  globe,  and  the 
earliest  forms  of  life  yet  discovered,  and  the  oldest 
human  relics  icliich  have  yet  been  found,  were  in 
America.  If,  therefore,  man  first  lived  and  died  and 
laid  down  his  bones  in  the  western  world  before  he 
died  and  laid  them  down  in  the  eastern  hemisphere, 
why  should  we  look  for  his  origin  in  the  east  instead 
of  the  west?  Why  not  claim  him  where  we  first  find 
his  remains,  instead  of  troubling  ourselves  about  the 
time  of  his  coming  and  the  place  whence  he  came? 
The  Orientals  have  not  been  able  in  thousands  of 
years  to  fix  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  Garden 
of  Eden,  where  the  human  race  is  claimed  to  have 
first  begun  existence,  and  as  the  question  is  still 
open,  the  occidentals  may  reasonably  claim  Ameri- 
ca as  the  first  land  above  the  ocean  and  the  first  in- 
habited by  man,  until  the  proof  is  made  clear  of  an 
earlier  inhabited  continent" 


And  Their  Fulfillment  111 


The  Prophecy  Regarding  Stephen  A. 
Douglas 

A  prophecy  of  surpassing  interest,  and  one  of  trans- 
cending importance  to  the  person  affected,  is  the  one 
made  by  Joseph  Smith  with  respect  to  the  life  and  destiny 
of  Judge  Stephen  A.  Douglas.1  Judge  Douglas  was  sit- 
ting on  the  bench  of  the  Illinois  judiciary  during  the 
residence  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  in  that  state.  He  tried 
some  of  the  cases  in  which  Joseph  Smith  was  defendant. 
He  was  at  other  times  a  candidate  for  office  and  had 
reason  to  be  informed  on  all  public  matters  and  acquaint- 
ed with  all  people  of  influence  and  repute.  An  inti- 
mate and  friendly  relationship  existed  between  him  and 
the  "Mormon"  leader.  On  one  occasion  the  judge  and 
Joseph  Smith  had  a  long  and  important  meeting,  during 
which  the  story  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Latter-day  Saints 
from  Missouri  was  narrated  to  the  judge.  This  interview 
occupied  fully  three  hours,  and  brought  forth  words  of 


1  Stephen  A.  Douglas  of  Illinois  was  a  self-made  man  of  tre- 
mendous energy,  a  masterful  politician,  and  an  unrivaled  debater. 
He  came  from  a  Vermont  farm  to  the  new  western  country,  as  a 
very  young  man,  and  rose  rapidly  through  minor  offices  to  a 
judgeship  in  the  supreme  court  in  Illinois.  He  was  sent  to  the 
House  of  Representatives  in  1843,  and  to  the  Senate  in  1846. 
Although  then  but  thirty-three  years  of  age,  Douglas  immediately 
assumed  an  important  place  in  the  Senate,  through  his  brilliant 
powers  of  debate.  He  was  soon  recognized  as  the  leader  of  the 
Democratic  party  in  the  north,  and  after  the  death  of  Calhoun, 
Clay  and  Webster,  he  became  the  foremost  figure  in  American 
public  life. 


112  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

condemnation  for  the  state  officials  of  Missouri  because 
of  the  culpability  and  turpitude  of  their  conduct  with 
respect  to  the  treatment  of  the  "Mormon"  people. 

The  conference,  both  cordial  and  friendly,  terminated 
rather  dramatically  by  the  "Mormon"  prophet  making 
this  remarkable  prediction  concerning  Mr.  Douglas: 

"Judge,  you  will  aspire  to  the  presidency  of  the 
United  States;  and  if  you  ever  turn  your  hand  against 
me  or  the  Latter-day  Saints,  you  will  feel  the  weight 
of  the  hand  of  Almighty  God  upon  you;  and  you 
will  live  to  see  and  know  that  I  have  testified  the 
truth  to  you,  for  the  conversation  of  this  day  will 
stick  to  you  through  life." 

This  prophecy  was  made  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  May, 
1843.  William  Clayton  was  present  on  the  occasion,  and 
to  him  we  are  indebted  for  the  record  of  the  incident. 

At  the  time  of  this  event,  Stephen  A.  Douglas  was  in 
his  thirtieth  year  and  though  a  bright  and  promising 
young  man,  he  was  scarcely  known  outside  of  his  own 
state.  He  was  decidedly  lacking  a  national  reputation. 
As  time  swept  on,  his  political  career  took  definite  shape 
and  he  was  elected  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
serving  in  both  bodies.  There  he  became  a  conspicuous 
character  and  had  much  to  do  with  the  slavery  question. 
His  abilities  soon  won  for  him  the  recognized  leadership 
of  the  Democratic  party. 

While  the  star  of  Douglas  was  rapidly  ascending  to 
its  zenith,  the  Deseret  News,  a  small  weekly  paper  pub- 
lished in  the  city  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  printed  the  in- 
terview of  Douglas  and  Joseph  Smith,  giving  the  proph- 
ecy in  full.  This  incident  appeared  in  the  regular  order 
of  the  History  of  the  Church  which  was  then  being  pub- 


TRiilU    »>,3    tl  gill  If. 

!ER  A  MEAT  SALT  LAKE  CITY.  WEI>NE$I»AY. 


BT  0^- JOSEPH  IKTTE 


The  Deseret  News  publishes  the  prophecy  concerning  Stephen 
A.  Douglas,  in  1856,  in  the  regular  course  of  the  History  of  the 
Church,  which  was  then  appearing  in  that  weekly  periodical.  This 
was  four  years  prior  to  the  series  of  dramatic  events  which  com- 
pletely fulfilled  the  prophecy. 
9 


114  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

lished  in  weekly  instalments  in  that  paper.  This  was  in 
the  year  1856.  In  that  year  the  Democrats  passed  over 
their  great  leader,  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  nominated 
James  Buchanan,  of  Pennsylvania.  The  Democratic 
party  was  successful  in  the  election,  Buchanan  receiving 
one  hundred  and  seventy-four  electoral  votes  and  Fremont 
receiving  one  hundred  and  fourteen.  The  presidential  bee 
was  busily  buzzing  in  the  Douglas  bonnet  during  that 
year.  One  historian  has  this  to  say  of  the  political  situa- 
tion of  that  year : 

"It  is  true  that  Douglas  could  not  hope  to  win  the 
Democratic  nomination  for  president  without  the 
favor  of  the  South,  and  perhaps  this  fact  is  suffi- 
cient to  account  for  his  willingness  to  open  the 
Kansas-Nebraska  territory  to  slavery.  For  the  men 
who  in  all  probability  would  be  his  rivals  for  the 
nomination  in  1856,  were  all,  in  one  way  or  an- 
other, courting  the  favor  of  the  South.  These  men 
were  President  Pierce,  who  was  almost  slavishly 
following  the  guidance  of  his  Secretary  of  War,  Jef- 
ferson Davis;  Secretary  of  State,  Marcey,  who  advo- 
cated the  annexation  of  Cuba;  and  our  minister  to 
England,  Buchanan,  who  signed  the  Ostend  Mani- 
festo." 

In  1856  and  1857  the  people  of  the  east  were  greatly 
agitated  over  the  "Mormons,"  because  of  rumors  and 
dramatic  stories  that  were  brought  to  them  by  every 
means  of  communication  then  available.  They  were  sto- 
ries of  crime,  outrages,  disloyalty  and  high  treason. 
Campaigners  like  effective  issues.  So  Douglas,  delib- 
eratly  disregarding  the  advice  and  fearful  warning  of 
Joseph  Smith,  given  in  1843,  stepped  upon  the  platform 
and  took  a  hand  in  the  "Mormon"  affair.  His  long 


8JBTORY  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH 


..        I  nitre,  and  con  only  to  disc* 

;  U\-   parrot   see  it.  but  \vh-n  our  bodi< 
;  pmified  we*  shal'  see  that  it  is  all  jna  ti-r. 
The  priest  seemed  pl./asod  wirh 
>:,.  and  slated  h:«  intention  to  vis:'.  Xauv 


:/Hd  since  last 
>v«-d  to  Nauvoo.  and 
;1   :2S  h...  Mninmiicatcg.     Four   ciders 


£|p*erty»lhc  mercy  ur'judgmeut   of  a   ^^  IM-^;^  ^cou,u-;ni;;^ 

^5  following-  is  from  the  journal  of   G-.-o.  I  ^  ('ni'i!  '  e^^^MacpaotiU  about  Si 


Utnoon  stop*  at  th*  house 
•iwait' 


:»-f   Jtccuunl    is    ffotn 
»n, 


3  part  ^   .- 

|  when   ifc  o.uno   to  tin*  coo! 
ily  intr>;- 

•  opinion.  '.If  s.o 


in  iiniK.-l 
Jr.    V.u,; 

j  i  i  -j_L  jjLLLf j  I  JiL>ll_i  J^iACi 


n«»  wi-iv   from  six  to  ei^ht  inches  in  t 

irenct-;  mucii  dain.i^-o  done. 

ay.  10. —  At  11  o'clock,  1,  wi'h  G^<--r^e 
^WUliam  Clayton,  Kli/..i  and  Ly; 
t*n'l  J.  .M.  B/oith,  f.'.irU'd  far  Carthage, 
^we  tarried  about  half  ar.  hour  c- 
-•iirid  i.tls,  \\1 

«j  arrived   about  3i  p.m.,  arid  «ta>^  I 

B.  P:  Johnson's  with  William  C.  . 
Before  retiring.  I  ^ave  brother  and 
tnson  sotne  instrtictioiiron  the  pri^st- 
intc  "iy  hand  on  [lie  k«>e*>  of  Wjl-  ' 
Vour  life  is   hid  with  Christ  in 
•o  are  many  others;  nothing  bat  the 
Me  eiii  can  prevent    vo;i  from   iiih^r- 
.1  tflory.  tor  you  ;ire  seaii-il  up  by  »ii  « 
the    priesthood    unto  eternal  life, | 
;en  the  step  necessary  for  that  pur- 1 


•  Freft'Uent  Sndtii.  j:j  cr.nclutling  his  remarks, 

Mid,  th.xt  if^th-'  ^ovv!r:imA:it  \vh(ch  received 

tlie  money,  f.f   Citi/i:iis    for   its; 

'u'/lic  i.  ,^:i:ils  are  roiling  in  ; 

s  public  treasury,  i 

;!)/.( :is  in  their  iivos  auH  i 

-  .in  old   granny   anyhow,  and  I' 

•  n»me  of  the  Lord"  God  of  Is*! 

•.'io{,  th.vi   nr.iv-oj  *ie  United  Slates  redress  the  J 

:.-.'d  upon  ih-  Saints  in  the  State  i 

..•i  punish  the  crime*  conmitteti 

'h  it  in  a  fr\v  years  the  sroveru- 

uvt-rt.hrown  and  wasted, I 

;;.d  fh'.-re   \vi!l   not 'be  so  much  as  a  potsherd  \ 
\vickeiineiis  in    permitting  the; 
nurckr  of  M-MI.  wnj?ien  anvl  children,  and  the! 
iiauou  of  thou- 1 


man  and  his  wife  enter   into 
"  covenant,  and  be  married  Tor  e 


. 

s  to  ^o  unpunislied;  thereby 
p.-L;  ating  a  foul  and  corroding  blot  iippn  tfxe; 
r  fame  of  this  ;;reat  republic,  the  very 
j^ht  of:  which  would  have  caused  the  hi#h 
»d*<[  and  patriotic  framera  of  the  Gonstttu- 

ilein  this  probation,  byjkhe  power  andiron  of  tfee  ;Jfeited  Statea  to  hide  their  faces 
f  of  the  boly  priesthood,  they   wilt|:w*th  sharnc.     Judge  you  will  aapire  to  the 
ificr  ease  -when  they  di«^,  that  is,  that!  Presidency  of  the  United  States,  and  if  -ever 
not  have  any  children  after  the  reatir-|  you  turn  your  hand  afafftat  me  or  the  Latter 
But  those  'who  are  married  by  ih»?|^ay  Saints,  you  will  fe"elt  the  weight  of  the 
authority  of  the  priesthood  in  thirf|haad  of  the  Almighty  upon  vot.-j  aral  you  will 
ooU^ue  without  committing  the  siu^ive  to  see  and  koow  thai  I  haye  teatmed  the 
e  floly  Ghost,  will  contimie  to  in-f  truth  tp  yon,  for  the  conversation  of  this  day 
have  children  in  the  celestial  glory.  I  will  stick  to  you  through  life.  j 

•donabfc  stn  is  to  shed  innocent  Blood,!     ^e  appears  very  friendly,  and  acknowledg^l 
«orv  thereto;  all  other  sius  will  be  >  the  truth  and  propriety  of  President 
*     l 


Stephen  A.  Douglas  prophecy  published  in  the  Deseret  News. 
in  1856,  four  years  before  its  complete  fulfillment. 


116  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

acquaintance  with  the  Latter-day  Saints,  his  eminence 
as  a  public  man,  together  with  his  brilliant  abilities  as 
an  orator  made  his  speech  upon  the  subject  a  momentous 
one.  It  was  delivered  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  June  12, 
1857.  A  complete  report  of  the  address  was  published 
in  the  Missouri  Republican,  exactly  six  days  later.  Ac- 
cording to  that  report  the  great  Douglas  handled  the 
question  "without  gloves."  He  grouped  his  arraignment 
of  the  "Mormon"  people  under  three  headings,  some- 
thing like  this: 

I.  Nine-tenths  of  the  inhabitants  of  Utah  territory  are 
foreign-born.  They  refuse  to  become  citizens,  or  to  recog- 
nize the  Government  of  the  United  States  as  permanent 
authority. 

II.  "Mormons"  are  bound  by  horrible  oaths,  and  terri- 
ble penalties  to  recognize  and  maintain  the  authority  of 
I»righam  Young  as  paramount  to  that  of  the  United  States. 
And  that  they  expect  ultimately  to  subvert  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  to  that  of  Brigham  Youn-. 

III.  That  this  alien  government  of  Brigham  Younn 
is  forming  alliance  with  the  Indian  tribes,  inciting  them 
to  hostility  and  organizing  bands  of  "Danites"  or  "de- 
stroying angels,"  etc.,  etc. 

Now  read  his  own  words: 

"Let  us  have  these  facts  in  official  shape  before 
the  president  and  Congress  and  the  country  will 
learn  that  in  the  performance  of  the  high  and  soleniTi 
duty  devolving  upon  the  executive  and  Congress 
there  will  be  no  vascilating  or  hesitating  policy.  // 
will  be  as  prompt  as  the  peal  that  follows  the  flash 
— as  stern  and  unyielding  as  death.  Should  such  a 
state  of  things  actually  exist  as  we  are  led  to  infer 
from  the  reports — and  such  information  comes  in  an 


And  Their  Fulfillment  117 

official  shape — the  knife  must  be  applied  to  this 
pestiferous,  disgusting  cancer  which  is  gnawing  inlo 
the  very  vitals  of  the  body  politic.  It  must  be  cut 
out  by  the  roots  and  seared  over  by  the  red  hot  iron 
of  stern,  unflinching  law.  ...  To  protect  them 
further  in  their  treasonable,  disgusting  and  bestial 
practices  would  be  a  disgrace  to  the  country — a  dis- 
grace to  humanity — a  disgrace  to  civilization,  and  a 
disgrace  to  the  spirit  of  the  age,"  etc.,  etc. 

(See  Senator  Douglas'  advice  to  Joseph  Smith  through 
Orson  Hyde,  page  59.) 

The  mail  was  carried  with  emigrant  trains  in  those 
days,  consequently  the  papers  containing  this  arraign- 
ment of  the  "Mormon"  people  did  not  reach  Great  Salt 
Lake  City  for  some  weeks.  On  Sept.  2,  1857,  the  whole 
editorial  page  of  the  courageous  little  Deseret  Neivs  was 
devoted  to  a  reprint  of  and  answer  to  Mr.  Douglas'  bitter 
speech.  Albert  Carrington  was  editor  of  the  News  at  the 
time.  The  editorial  runs  over  the  allotted  page  and  con- 
cludes elsewhere  in  the  same  issue  with  this  incomparably 
bold  and  fearless  rebuke  and  overwhelming  condemna- 
tion. After  reviewing  Judge  Douglas'  vehement  de- 
nunciation of  the  Latter-day  Saints  the  editor  addresses 
Douglas  as  though  it  were  Joseph  Smith  reiterating  his 
warning  of  fourteen  years  before: 

"That  you  may  thoroughly  understand  that  you 
have  voluntarily,  knowingly  and  of  choice  sealed 
your  damnation,  and  by  your  own  chosen  course  have 
closed  your  chance  for  the  presidential  chair, 
through  disobeying  the  council  of  Joseph,  which  you 
formerly  sought  and  prospered  by  following,  a^d 
that  you  in  common  with  us,  may  testify  to  all  tli'3 
world  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  true  Prophet,  the 


204 


THE  DESERET  MEWS. 


ALT1ERT    CAIIRIXC.TOX,   EDITOR. 


SRKAT  SALT  LAKH   CIVV,   M'KDNr.SPAY,  SKPT.  C.  I 

COMMENTS 


rp 

"Tho  Ecniarka  of   Hon.  Stephen  AraoU  Doug- 
las, 

Pisuvrny.n   IN*  Tin: 
nr.i.M,   IM.INO 

AND    .'IMNTKi)   IX     . 

or JKNI 

In  \vt(  h  a  ; 

las  remarked    ;, 
fol!o\vin:r  %| 

<k'laf".     The   j  : 
of  Kanpn^. 

2i;d.     Til'**  pri 
Court  of   the    1 


3rd.     The  condition  of  things  in  Utah,  and 
llj^  rppro;,-]  i.if  e  r»'!n<'dit'f?  fo 

Tiio  Sou.-ifor's  re  marks  r.p 
points  \viil  ho   passed  over  \  'fly,  as  the  | 


able  that  either  the  pro  or  ant. 

Editorial  comment  on  the  famous  speech  of  Douglas  on  the  Mor- 
mon question,  iu  which  he  recommended  the  "pestiferous  .  .  . 
cancer  must  but  cut  out  by  the  very  roots,  and  seared  over  by  the 
red-hot  iron  of  stern,  unflinching  law." 


ih  -.-   Ill  UK- 

1.1  i!j»j  jour- 


_J"*'*o  u>ai  you  nray   nave  •    i 

U*sfi::iony  of  th>5  tru^j  of  l!u*  a-~£-?rJio:js  thtU  yoa 

-.lid  kuo?/  Jo*ctih  a'hd  this  people  acd  the   churac- 

tfn-   of    Ui-ir  eueuii.M?,  (aud    neither   class   have  \ 

changed,  only  as  the  Saint*  h  ,ve  become    BETTEE  | 

mid  their  enemies  WORSE,)  and  also  that  you  may 

thoroughly  uud»rfsUi)d  tint  yon  have  voluuturily, 

<;iowi:ig!y,  «nd  o:  c'.oiCtt  eculed  your  d'imiiatioa 

'u'^  •':  uourss  irive closed  yoar 

!>.--  s;  i-'iiii  ;i   c!j;;ir,   tlirough   dlso* 

i  Joygipli,  \vhichydti  for.n^rly 

d  prosji'Te.l  by  loliowirg,  and  that,  you, 

with  uvt  rA",\y  t(;Ktify  to  all  the    world 

a  tr.{-»  Pro'ihet,  the  fu!Iowi:'g"  ex- 

the  •IJi-?ti)ry  of  J.»sJ«ii!i  S/Dith*  u  ;«gniu 

d  h»r  yr.nr   bf ii'-iif,  tud    i.s  ki-.dly   rc«om- 

your  careful  perusal  utjd  n.ost  candid 


^4f  ^Ae  conclusion  of  the  editorial  answering  Mr.  Douglas,  the 
Deseret  News  reprints  the  prophecy  of  Joseph  Smith,  which  it 
printed  the  year  previous,  for  his  "benefit  and  careful  perusal" 
boldly  adding  that  he  had  sealed  his  own  doom  and  had  "closed 
his  chances  for  the  Presidential  chair."  This  was  in  1857,  three 
years  before  his  nomination  and  subsequent  defeat. 


120  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

following  extract  from  the  history  of  Joseph  Smith 
is  again  printed  for  your  benefit,  and  is  kindly 
recommended  to  your  careful  perusual  and  most 
candid  consideration." 

Then  followed  the  prophecy  which  was  printed  in  the 
same  paper  on  September  24th  of  the  year  previous.  "God 
is  not  mocked;  as  ye  sow,  so  shall  ye  reap." 

Now  mark  the  course  of  this  man  standing  within 
reaching  distance  of  the  highest  of  earthly  honors. 

This  was  the  anti-climax  of  his  career.  He  was  an 
avowed  candidate  for  the  presidency  and  by  reason  of 
his  unequalled  leadership,  his  commanding  posit io-i 
seemed  to  be  without  a  rival.  Yet  he  had  pul  at  naught 
the  word  of  God.  Writing  of  him  in  1858,  Muzzey  says: 

"Towards  the  end  of  Douglas'  second  term  in  thr 
United  States  Senate,  he  returned  to  hi>  own  state  in 
the  summer  of  1858  to  promote  his  political  inter- 
ests. He  was  in  disgrace  with  the  administration 
and  in  considerable  private  embarrassment.  A  great 
part  of  his  fortune  had  been  swept  away  by  a  severe 
financial  panic  which  had  come  upon  the  country  in 
1857,  as  a  result  of  over-confidence  in  the  early 
fifties  and  too  sanguine  investments  in  \\r-trni  farms 
and  railways. 

"The  great  conventions  of  1860,  which  were  to 
nominate  candidates  for  the  most  important  presi- 
dential election  in  our  history,  began  with  the  meet- 
ing of  the  delegates  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
April  23rd.  Six  states  bolted  the  convention  over  an 
unwillingness  to  accept  the  Douglas  platform  which 
stood  for  popular  sovereignty.  These  bolters  were 
intense  believers  in  slavery  as  a  right — a  moral,  so- 
cial and  political  right." 


And  Their  Fulfillment  121 

"The  two  wings  of  the  Democratic  party  re-as- 
sembled in  June,  at  Baltimore,  the  'regulars'  nomin- 
ated Douglas  and  the  pro-slavery  'bolters'  nominated 
John  Breckinridge,  vice-president  under  Buchanan." 

The  wildest  enthusiasm  followed  the  nomination  of  Mr. 
Douglas.  His  popularity,  his  brilliant  talents  in  debate, 
his  political  leadership,  his  senatorial  achievements  gave 
him  great  advantage,  especially  over  the  unknown,  un- 
gainly, western  man  whom  the  Republicans  had  named  in 
the  "Wigwam"  at  Chicago.  Another  advantage  or  as- 
surance seemed  to  exist  in  the  comfortable  majority  the 
people  had  given  the  then  present  Democratic  administra- 
tion. Lincoln  and  Douglas  stumped  the  country  together. 
Their  debates  were  epoch-making  of  themselves.  But 
when  the  returns  of  that  November  6th  election  were  all 
canvassed,  the  "rail  splitter,"  "honest  Abe"  Lincoln  was 
found  to  have  received  180  votes  of  the  electoral  college 
while  Douglas  received  but  12.  Only  two  states  in  the 
electoral  college  voted  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  They 
were  Missouri  and  New  Jersey. 

Scarcely  anything  remains  to  be  said  of  Mr.  Douglas 
after  that  unhappy,  fateful  political  contest.  Twenty 
days  less  than  one  year  after  his  nomination  by  the  demo- 
cratic convention,  "while  yet  in  the  prime  of  his  man- 
hood,— 48  years  of  age — Stephen  A.  Douglas  died  at  his 
home  in  Chicago,  a  disappointed,  not  to  say,  broken- 
hearted man." 

After  his  defeat  Apostle  Orson  Hyde  wrote  him  a  per- 
sonal letter  which  the  Deseret  News  published  in  Novem- 
ber of  that  year.  This  letter,  which  is  reproduced  from 
the  files  of  the  News  possesses  the  value  of  identifying 
another  witness  to  this  remarkable  prophecy. 

The  divine  inspiration   of  this  great  manifestation  is 


TUB  LATTES-DAT  SAINTS' 

MILLENNIAL    STAR. 


•'  We  kat*  altn  m  more  surf  irorrf  of  prophm,  .  u-hrreuntn  y  do  n ell  ' :, 

that  thineth  in  *  dark  jnact,  vnttl  tht  d-.i>>  d-iwn  „  I  rt  K . 


No.  9,  Vol.  XXI. 


Saturday,  Febraa: 


Price  Cue  Fany, 


HISTORY    OF   JOSEPH    SMITH. 

President   Smith,   in    concluding  his    re- ]  ordained  brother 
marks,  said      ^        ^ 

Judge,  I  worthy  of  thg  o 

you  will  aspire  to   the  Presidency   of   the  I      Eldez^Goodfi 
United    States  ;     and    if    you    ever     turn  !  R.  Anderson  vi 


your  hand  against  me  or  the  Latter-day 
Saints,  you  will  feel  the  weight  of  the 
hand  of  the  Almighty  upon  you;  and  you 
will  live  to  see  and  knpw  that  I  have  tes- 
tified the  truth  to  you ;  for  the  conversation 
of  this  day  will  stick  to  you  through  life. 

He  appeared  very  friendly,  and  acknow- 
ledged the  truth  and  propriety  of  President 
Smith's  remarks."  y 


mcnt  in  Lee  C« 
Spent  three  \v« 
one  Priest,  and 
La  Salle  Court; 
From  thence 
visited  a  large 
consin  Territoi 
dation  of  a  gr 
There  are  now 


Prophecy   concerning   Stephen   A.    Douglas,   published   in    the 
above  periodical  in  1859. 


E  R  E  T    NEWS. 


w^iiSSa®!^ 


JUDGE    DOUGLAS. 

EPHRAIM,  Utah  Territory, 
Nov.  27,  I860. 

Will  the  Judge  now  acknowledge  that 
Joseph  'Smith  was  a  true  Prophet?  If  he  will 
not,  does  he  recollect  a  certain  conversation 
had  with  Mr.  Smith,  at  the  house  of  Sheriff 
Backenstos,  in  Carthage,  Illinois,  in  the  year 
1843,  in  which  Mi\  Smith  said  to  him:  "You 
will  yet  aspire  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United 
States.  But  if  you  ever  raise  your  hand,  or 
your  voice  against  the  Latter  Day  Saints, 
you  shall  never  bo  President  of  the  United 
States." 

Does  Judge  Douglas  recollect  that  in  a  pub- 
lic speech  delivered  by  him  in  the  year  1857, 
at  Springfield,  Illinois,  of  comparing  the  Mor- 
mon community,  then  constituting  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Utah  Territory,  to  a  "loathsome 
ulcer  on  the  body  politic;"  and  of  recom- 
mending th*3  knife  to'be  applied  to  cut  it  out? 

Among  other  tilings  the  Judge  will  doubt- 
less recollect  that  I  was  present  and  heai^lthe 
conversation  between  him  and  Joseph  Smith, 
at  Mr.  Backenstos'  residence  in  Carthage,  be- 
fore alluded  to. 

Now,  Judge,  what  think  you  about  Joseph 
Smith  and  Mormonism? 

ORSON  HYDE. 


Letter  of  Orson  Hyde,  addressed  to  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  after 
the  election  the  results  which  fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  Joseph 
Smith  concerning  Mr.  Douglas.  This  letter  also  makes  known 
the  fact  that  Mr.  Hyde  was  present  when  this  celebrated  prophecy 
was  made. 


124  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

proven  at  the  hands  of  time.  Its  genuineness  is  equally 
well  established.  Its  publication  long  prior  to  the  cul- 
minating events  it  foreshadowed  are  also  proven  beyond 
a  doubt. 

It  was  first  published  in  the  Deseret  News  of  September 
24,  1856.  It  next  appeared  in  the  Millennial  Star,  a 
Liverpool  publication,  in  February,  1859.  It  was  re- 
published  in  the  Deseret  News  in  September  of  1857. 

Edward  W.  Tullidge,  official  historian  for  Salt  Lake 
City,  whose  work  was  published  as  late  as  1885,  says  of 
this  Douglas  prophecy: 

4 

"This  prediction  of  the  "Mormon"  Prophet  in  his 
conversation  with  Douglas  is  singularly  authentic 
and  was  published  years  before  the  Illinois  Senator 
recommended  the  Government  to  'cut  the  loathsome 
ulcer  out.' ' 

It  should  be  added  that  Mr.  Tullidge  was  in  no  sense 
an  orthodox  "Mormon."  In  fact  at  one  time  he  left  the 
Church  entirely.  He  was  here  in  very  early  days  and 
was  one  of  the  most  gifted  men  of  letters  in  his  time. 

So,  this  incident,  though  entirely  personal  in  its  char- 
acter, affords  another  piece  of  incontrovertible  evidence 
to  the  divine  mission  and  inspiration  of  Joseph  Smith. 
Time — truth — triumph  ! 


And  Their  Fulfillment  125 


Book  of  Mormon— A  Prophecy 

The  Book  of  Mormon  is  a  prophecy  of  a  new  gospel 
dispensation  which  was  opened  at  the  time  of  its  coming 
forth. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  is  a  volume  of  prophecy  and  is 
also  the  fulfillment  of  innumerable  prophecies.  It  was 
translated  by  Joseph  Smith  by  "the  gift  and  power  of 
God,"  and  was  published  to  the  world  in  1829 — a  decade 
less  than  a  century  ago.  It  purports  to  be  a  religious  and 
political  history  of  distinct  and  separate  peoples  who 
occupied  this  land  at,  for  the  most  part,  widely  remote 
periods.  Both  peoples  were  divinely  led  to  this  land 
from  the  eastern  hemisphere. 

They,  through  their  prophets,  were  in  more  or  less 
constant  communication  with  the  Deity.  From  him  they 
received  a  very  clear  and  exalted  conception  of  the  mis- 
sion and  destiny  of  this  land  of  America.  To  them  it 
was  a  "choice  land,"  to  be  held  in  reserve  until  modern 
times  when  its  great  role  among  the  nations  of  the  earth 
would  be  played.  Some  one  has  said  in  recent  times, 
"One  of  God's  greatest  experiments,  the  development  of 
North  America." 

These  declarations  concerning  the  "land  of  liberty"- 
America — are  largely  responsible  for  the  lofty  patriotism 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  No  people  of  religious  develop- 
ment could  have  a  higher  and  more  exalted  conception 
of  the  destiny  and  mission  of  their  country  than  do  the 
Latter-day  Saints.  It  is  as  deeply  written  in  their  souls  as 


126  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

it  is  in  the  base  and  fabric  of  their  sacred  literature.  God 
hath  spoken  it,  who  can  deny  it? 

So  was  it  with  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  land.  Here 
are  a  few  sentiments  held  by  them  concerning  this  land: 

"The  land  of  promise,  which  was  choice  above 
all  other  lands,  which  the  Lord  God  had  preserved 
for  a  righteous  people;  .  .  . 

"And  now  we  can  behold  the  decrees  of  God  con- 
cerning this  land,  that  it  is  a  land  of  promise,  and 
whatsoever  nation  shall  possess  it,  shall  serve  God, 
or  they  shall  be  swept  off  when  the  fulness  of  his 
wrath  shall  come  upon  them.  And  the  fulness  of 
his  wrath  cometh  upon  them  when  they  are  ripened 
in  iniquity."  .  .  . 

1.     "A  choice  land" 

"The  discovery  of  the  New  World  by  Columbus 
was  the  most  dramatic  incident  in  the  secular  his- 
tory of  mankind.  It  may  be  in  the  moral  vicissi- 
tudes of  the  race  something  of  heroism,  of  sacrifice 
more  grand  and  ennobling  has  occured;  but  among 
the  distinctly  human  events  nothing  so  wonderful 
and  inspiring  has  ever  been  witnessed  as  the  uplift 
of  the  darkness  and  the  revelation  of  the  dawn  on 
that  October  morning  when  'Land  Ho!'  was  the  cry 
from  the  prow  of  the  Pinta." — From  Ellis'  History 
of  Our  Country. 

Draper  says: 

"The  discovery  of  America  agitated  Europe  to  its 
deepest  foundations.  All  classes  of  men  were  af- 
fected. The  populace  at  once  went  wild  with  the 
lust  of  gold  and  a  love  of  adventure.  Well  might 


And  Their  Fulfillment  127 

Pomponius  Laetus  shed  tears  of  joy  when  tidings  of 
the  great  event  reached  him.  Well  might  Leo  X.,  a 
few  years  later,  sit  up  till  far  in  the  night  reading  to 
his  sister  and  his  cardinals  the  'Oceania'  of  Anghi- 
era." 

And  these  early  enthusiasts  on  the  greatness  of  Ameri- 
ca had  only  a  most  meagre  suggestion  of  her  real  great- 
ness. She  has  in  little  more  than  a  century  developed 
the  greater  portion  of  the  world's  wealth.  She  has  with- 
in the  last  five  years,  literally  saved  a  war-mad  world 
from  starvation,  as  well  as  from  a  merciless  and  tyran- 
nical despotism.  She  is  creditor  to  Europe  in  many  bil- 
lions, and  Europe,  and  humanity  as  a  whole,  are  debtors 
to  America  for  something  that  cannot  be  measured  in 
treasure — the  introduction  of  a  genuine  democracy  in  the 
earth,  and  finally,  its  complete  preservation,  if  not  its 
perpetuation  for  all  time  to  come. 

Speaking  of  America's  resources,  an  authority  of  fi- 
nance made  this  remarkable  disclosure  concerning  what 
our  country  was  able  to  do  during  the  recent  war: 

"In  the  few  months  that  we  were  engaged  in  war, 
the  expenditures  made,  the  obligations  authorized  by 
the  Government  exceed  all  the  expenditures  of  our 
Government  for  all  purposes  during  the  prior  one 
hundred  and  forty  years,  including  the  cost  of  all 
the  wars  we  have  fought;  of  all  the  pensions  we  have 
paid;  of  all  the  buildings  and  public  works  the  Gov- 
ernment has  constructed;  of  all  the  navies  we  had 
built  and  all  the  canals  we  had  dug;  yet  after  all  this 
tremendous  outlay  our  resources  were  not  seriously 
strained.  Had  it  been  necessary  to  win  the  war,  all 
that  expenditure  of  treasure  would  have  been  re- 
peated over  and  over  again  and  again;  and  the  loyal- 


128  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

ty  and  patriotism  of  our  people  would  have  sup- 
ported the  program  and  our  resources  would  have 
withstood  the  strain." 

And  of  her  political  mission  was  it  not  written  in  the 
ages  past:  "And  he  will  lift  up  an  ensign  to  the  nations 
from  afar?" 

Has  she  not  been  the  political  hope  of  humanity  from 
the  day  of  her  founding? 

Of  the  importance  of  her  place  in  the  world  let  the 
great  Webster  speak: 

"If  in  our  case,  the  representative  system  ulti- 
mately fails,  popular  governments  must  be  pro- 
nounced impossible.  No  combination  of  circum- 
stances more  favorable  to  the  experiment  can  ever 
be  expected  to  occur.  The  last  hopes  of  mankind, 
therefore  rest  with  us;  and  if  it  should  be  proclaimed 
that  our  example  had  become  an  argument  again st 
the  experiment,  the  knell  of  popular  liberty  would 
be  sounded  throughout  the  earth." 

In  the  light  of  the  important  part  which  America  has 
played  in  the  world's  great  war  she  was  obviously  proven 
to  be  "a  choice  land,  which  the  Lord  God  had  re- 
served for  a  righteous  people,"  as  well  as  for  a  sacred 
and  worthy  purpose.  It  is  as  plain  to  the  world  today 
as  it  was  to  those  ancient  American  prophets  that  God 
had  a  mission  and  a  destiny  for  America. 

2.     "And  he  that  fighteth  against  Zion  shall  perish, 
saith  God." 

DISCOVERY  AND  CONQUEST  BY  SPAIN. 

Immediately  upon  the  discovery  of  America,  the  King 
and  Queen  of  Spain  sent  a  representative  to  the  court  of 


And  Their  Fulfillment  129 

Pope  Alexander  VI  for  the  purpose  of  securing  in  them- 
selves a  good  and  sufficient  title  to  the  territory  thus 
found.  Precedent  had  already  paved  the  way,  and  with 
the  conviction  evidently  in  mind  that  "pagans  and  infi- 
dels have  no  lawful  property  in  their  lands  and  goods, 
but  that  the  children  of  God  may  rightfully  take  them 
away,"  the  bull  was  issued.  Acting  on  the  further  as- 
sumption that  "all  countries  under  the  sun  are  subject 
of  right  to  papal  disposal,"  the  transfer  was  made  to 
Spain  "in  the  fulness  of  apostolic  power,  of  all  lands 
west  and  south  of  a  line  drawn  from  the  arctic  to  the  Ant- 
arctic pole  one  hundred  leagues  west  of  the  Azores." 
(This  must  have  been  one  of  the  largest  real  estate  trans- 
fers of  the  season;  at  least  it  was  the  most  important  one.) 

It  directed  that  unbelieving  nations  be  subdued,  "and 
that  no  pains  be  spared  in  reducing  the  Indians  to 
Christianity." 

Subsequent  events  prove  with  what  nicety  of  expres- 
sion that  word  "reduce"  was  used.  The  Indians  were 
even  denied  common  Adamic  descent.  (Cortez  and  Piz- 
zaro  literally  wrote  their  names  across  the  vales  and 
mountains  of  Mexico  and  Peru  in  living  streams  of  blood. 

Under  such  headings  as  the  ones  that  follow,  Draper 
describes  the  deeds  of  Spain  in  a  land  "consecrated  to 
human  liberty:" 

"The  American  Tragedy,"  and  "The  Crime  of 
Spain." 

"The  lust  for  gold  was  only  too  ready  to  find  its 
justification  in  the  obvious  conclusion  [viz.:  that  the 
Indians  were  not  members  of  the  human  family] ; 
and  the  Spaniards,  with  appalling  atrocity,  proceeded 
to  act  towards  these  unfortunates  as  though  they  did 
not  belong  to  the  human  race.  Already  their  lands 
10 


130  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

and  goods  had  been  taken  from  them  by  apostolic 
authority.  Their  persons  were  next  seized,  under  the 
text  that  the  heathen  are  given  as  an  inheritance, 
and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  as  a  possession. 
It  was  one  unspeakable  outrage,  one  unutterable 
ruin,  without  discrimination  of  age  or  sex.  Those 
who  died  not  under  the  lash  in  a  tropical  sun  died 
in  the  darkness  of  the  mine.  From  sequestered  sand- 
banks, where  the  red  flamingo  fishes  in  the  gray  of 
the  morning;  from  fever-stricken  mangrove  thickets, 
and  the  gloom  of  impenetrable  forests;  from  hiding 
places  in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks  and  the  solitude  of 
invisible  caves;  from  the  eternal  snows  of  the  Andes, 
where  there  was  no  witness  but  the  all-seeing  sun, 
there  went  up  to  God  a  cry  of  human  despair.  By 
millions  upon  millions,  whole  races  and  nations  were 
remorselessly  cut  off.  The  Bishop  of  Chiapa  affirms 
that  more  than  fifteen  millions  were  exterminated  by 
his  time!  From  Mexico  and  Peru  a  civilization  that 
might  have  instructed  Europe  was  crushed  out." 

Here  Draper  asks:  "Is  it  for  nothing  that  Spain  has 
been  made  a  hideous  skeleton  among  living  nations?" 
He  answers:  "Had  not  her  punishment  overtaken  her, 
men  would  have  surely  said,  'There  is  no  retribution, 
there  is  no  God?"  He  continues  in  the  fearful  indict- 
ment: "It  has  been  her  evil  destiny  to  ruin  two  civili- 
zations. Oriental  and  Occidental,  and  to  be  ruined 
thereby  herself.  With  circumstances  of  dreadful  bar- 
barity she  expelled  the  Moors,  who  had  become  children 
of  her  soil  by  as  long  a  residence  as  the  Normans  have 
had  in  England  from  William  the  Conqueror  to  our  time. 
In  America  she  destroyed  races  more  civilized  than  her- 
self. Expulsion  and  emigration  have  deprived  her  of 


And  Their  Fulfillment  131 

her  best  blood,  her  great  cities  have  sunk  into  insignifi- 
cance, and  towns  that  once  had  more  than  a  million  of 
inhabitants  can  now  show  only  a  few  scanty  thousands." 

With  such  a  history  as  this  in  a  land  which  had  been 
dedicated  to  the  cause  of  Freedom,  little  wonder  that  the 
perpetrator  of  such  crimes  should  meet  a  speedy  and 
withering  judgment  at  the  hands  of  the  God  who  had 
uttered  these  unalterable  decrees. 

And,  as  if  to  affirm  and  verify  these  decrees,  this  na- 
tion some  score  of  years  ago,  in  the  name  of  humanity 
arose  in  righteous  indignation  and  freed  the  hemisphere 
of  this  ancient  unconscionable  despot.  She  was  forced 
to  surrender  her  last  Occidental  possession  when  Cuba 
was  let  free  from  her  cruel  grasp.  And  thus  the  greatest 
prize,  the  richest  possession  ever  held  by  earthly  monarch 
was  lost  to  her  forever. 

God  had  declared  centuries  ago  that  he  would  "fortify 
this  land  against  all  other  nations,"  and  it  was  further 
decreed  that  "he  that  fighteth  against  Zion  shall  perish, 
saith  God."  Thus  the  fatal  verdict  fell  upon  Spain. 

3.     "And  I  will  fortify  this  land  against  all  other  na- 
tions.9' 

The  great  powers  of  the  earth  were  contending  for  su- 
premacy in  the  land.  Spain  was  early  on  the  recession 
as  the  foresight  of  France  turned  her  penetrating  eye  to- 
ward America.  England's  superior  statesmanship  was 
steadily  supplanting  France.  Then  the  newly  born  na- 
tion arose  in  resistence  to  the  foreign  encroachments. 

"The  armies  rose  from  out  the  earth, 
And  great  ships  loomed  upon  the  sea, 

And  Liberty  had  second  birth 
In  blood  and  fire  and  victory!" 


132  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

Three  great  empires  were  exercising  temporary  domin- 
ion over  the  land.  Three  sovereign  powers  with  Eng- 
land rapidly  rising  to  supreme  control.  But  the  God  of 
this  land  had  outlined  an  altogether  different  program. 
Behold  the  miracle  of  the  God  of  nations  turing  their 
greedy  conflicts  into  a  glorious  consummation  of  his 
own  well-defined  plans  and  purposes!  Let  the  old  his- 
torian, Marcus  Wilson,  relate  the  wonderful  story  as  he 
interpreted  the  unfolding  plans  of  the  Almighty: 

"Thus  closed  the  most  important  war  in  which 
England  had  ever  been  engaged, — a  war  which  arose 
wholly  out  of  her  ungenerous  treatment  of  her 
American  colonies.  The  expense  of  blood  and  treas- 
ure which  this  war  caused  England  was  enormous; 
nor,  indeed,  did  her  European  antagonists  suffer 
much  less  severely.  The  United  States  was  the  only 
country  that  could  look  to  any  beneficial  results 
from  the  war,  and  these  were  obtained  by  a  strange 
union  of  opposing  motives  and  principles  unequalled 
in  the  annals  of  history.  France  and  Spain,  the  ar- 
bitrary despots  of  the  old  world  had  stood  forth  as 
the  protectors  of  an  infant  republic,  and  had  com- 
bined, contrary  to  all  the  principles  of  their  politi- 
cal faith,  to  establish  the  rising  liberties  of  America. 
They  seemed  but  as  blind  instruments  in  the  hands 
of  providence,  employed  to  aid  in  the  founding  of 
a  nation  which  should  cultivate  those  republican 
virtues  that  were  destined  yet  to  regenerate  the 
world  upon  the  principles  of  universal  intelligence, 
and  eventually  to  overcome  the  time-worn  system  of 
tyrannical  usurpation  of  the  few  over  the  many." 

4.     "Behold,  this  is  a  choice  land,  and  whatsoever  na- 
tion shall  possess  it,  shall  be  free  from  bondage. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  133 

and  from  captivity,  and  from  all  other  nations  un- 
der heaven,  if  they  will  but  serve  the  God  of  the 
land,  who  is  Jesus  Christ." 

The  heritage  of  a  righteous  occupancy  of  the  land  of 
America  is  perfect  freedom. 

The  discoverers  of  America  came  as  conquerors  and 
not  as  colonizers  or  home  seekers.  Lust  for  gold,  and 
love  of  conquest  never  built  homes,  but  have  destroyed 
them  by  thousands.  The  Pilgrim  Fathers,  the  Huguenots 
and  the  Puritans  were  essentially  home  makers.  They 
came  to  this  land  to  live,  not  to  plunder  and  destroy. 
Thus  America  received  from  the  Old  World  the  virile, 
the  serious,  the  home-loving,  the  heroic  and  the  brave, 
whom  Webster  befittingly  styled  "the  best  blood  of 
Europe."  The  home  is  the  greatest  paladium  of  freedom. 
It  is  the  greatest  resistent  to  encroachment.  It  is  the 
greatest  inspiration  to  defensive  combat.  It  is  the  great- 
est justification  and  the  surest  foundation  for  independ- 
ence. This  is  a  land  that  can  supply,  more  perfectly  than 
any  other,  the  infinite  variety  of  man's  wants,  hence,  the 
natural  elements  of  home  making  are  here.  With  these 
abounding,  independence  becomes  natural  and  also  inev- 
itable. 

Thus  while  Spain,  France,  and  England  were  engag- 
ing in  contests  of  diplomacy  and  strategy,  often  resort- 
ing to  arms,  the  real  seeds  of  patriotism  were  making 
sturdy  growth  in  the  thrifty  colonies  which  were  spread- 
ing throughout  New  England.  When  once  men  become 
tillers  of  the  soil,  which  they  call  their  own,  a  wholesome 
and  abiding  patriotism  becomes  firmly  rooted  in  it.  So, 
when  a  king  of  wretched  mental  endowments,  pursuing 
a  narrow-minded  policy,  persists  in  levying  oppressive 
taxes  upon  the  home  of  patriots,  resentment  is  inevit- 


134  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

able.  Thus  England,  unfortunate  in  having  a  reaction- 
ary monarch  on  her  throne,  alienated  the  loyal  colonist  of 
America  and  lost  the  greatest  possession  over  which  she 
ever  exercised  sovereign  authority. 

It  was  inevitably  so,  however.  The  patriots  at  first 
flouted  the  idea  of  separation.  They  patiently  and  hum- 
bly plead  for  redress  and  adjustment  of  grievances.  But 
King  George  III.  persisted  in  provoking  them  to  resent- 
ment. Let  these  noble  declarations  of  causes  and  neces- 
sity of  taking  up  arms,  as  framed  in  Philadelphia  in 
1775,  speak  for  their  aspirations: 

"Our  cause  is  just.  Our  union  is  perfect.  Our  in- 
ternal resources  are  great,  .and,  if  necessary,  foreign 
assistance  is  undoubtedly  obtainable.  We  grate- 
fully acknowledge,  as  signal  instances  of  the  Divine 
favor  toward  us,  that  his  providence  would  not  per- 
mit us  to  be  called  into  this  severe  controversy,  un- 
til we  were  grown  up  to  our  present  strength,  had 
been  previously  exercised  in  war-like  operations,  and 
possessed  of  the  means  of  defending  ourselves.  With 
hearts  fortified  with  these  animating  reflections,  we 
most  solemnly,  before  God  and  the  world  declare, 
that,  exerting  the  utmost  energy  of  these  powers, 
which  our  beneficent  Creator  hath  graciously  be- 
stowed upon  us,  the  arms  we  have  been  compelled  by 
our  enemies  to  assume,  we  will,  in  defiance  of  ev- 
ery hazard,  with  unabating  firmness  and  persever- 
ance, employ  for  the  preservation  of  our  liberties; 
being  with  one  mind  resolved  to  die  freemen  rather 
than  live  slaves. 

"Lest  this  declaration  should  disquiet  the  minds 
of  our  friends  and  fellow  subjects  in  any  part  of 
the  empire,  we  assure  them  that  we  mean  not  to  dis- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  135 

solve  that  union  which  has  so  long  and  so  happily 
subsisted  between  us,  and  which  we  sincerely  wish 
to  see  restored.  Necessity  has  not  yet  driven  us  into 
that  desperate  measure,  or  induced  us  to  excite  any 
other  nation  to  war  against  them.  We  have  not 
raised  armies  with  ambitious  designs  of  separating 
from  Great  Britain,  and  establishing  independent 
states.  We  fight  not  for  glory  or  for  conquest.  We 
exhibit  to  mankind  the  remarkable  spectacle  of  a 
people  attacked  by  unprovoked  enemies,  without 
any  imputation  or  even  suspicion  of  offense.  They 
boast  of  their  privileges  and  civilization,  and  yet 
proffer  no  milder  conditions  than  servitude  or 
death." 

Then  came,  contrary  to  their  cherished  traditions  and 
sincere  wishes,  the  inevitable  step  by  which  "whatsoever 
nation  shall  possess  it  [this  land],  shall  be  free  from 
bondage,  and  from  captivity,  and  from  all  other  nations 
under  heaven,"  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

"We  .  .  .  solemnly  publish  and  declare,  That 
these  United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be 
free  and  independent  states;  that  they  are  absolved 
from  all  allegiance  to  the  British  Crown  and  that  all 
political  connection  between  them  and  the  State  of 
Britain,  is  and  ought  to  be  totally  dissolved;  and  that 
as  free  and  independent  states,  they  have  full  power 
to  levy  war,  conclude  peace,  contract  alliances,  es- 
tablish commerce,  and  do  all  other  acts  and  things 
which  independent  states  may  of  right  do.  And  for 
the  support  of  this  declaration,  with  a  firm  reliance 
on  the  protection  of  Divine  Providence,  we  mutually 
pledge  to  each  other  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our 
sacred  honor." 


136  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

5.     "A  land  of  liberty,"  and  "no  kings  upon  the  land" 

The  Book  of  Mormon,  by  the  mouth  of  one  of  its 
prophets  who  lived  some  six  hundred  years  B.  C.,  made 
this  prophetic  declaration  concerning  the  land  of  Amer- 
ica: 

"And  this  land  shall  be  a  land  of  liberty  unto 
the  Gentiles,  and  there  shall  be  no  kings  upon  the 
land,  who  shall  raise  up  unto  the  Gentiles; 

"And  I  will  fortify  this  land  against  all  other  na- 
tions; 

"And  he  that  fighteth  against  Zion  shall  perish, 
saith  God; 

"For  he  that  raiseth  up  a  king  against  me,  shall 
perish,  for  I,  the  Lord,  the  king  of  heaven,  will  be 
their  king,  and  I  will  be  a  light  unto  them  forever 
that  hear  my  words." 

This  prediction  regarding  the  land  of  America,  and 
its  occupancy  by  Gentile  nations  seems  to  refer  entirely 
to  times  subsequent  to  its  discovery  by  Columbus. 

In  the  Book  of  Mormon  this  land  is  called  the  inheri- 
tance of  the  descendants  of  Joseph,  but  it  also  says  that 
the  "Gentiles  shall  be  blessed  upon  the  land."  These 
are  the  "times  of  the  Gentiles"  and  they  are  today  the 
recipients  of  Divine  favor  as  never  before.  During  this 
great  and  favored  period  of  history  this  land,  which  was 
held  in  reserve,  was  to  become  inhabited.  Here  Zion  was 
to  be  built  up  and  to  it  "all  nations"  should  "flow." 
Hence  we  conclude  that  from  the  time  of  the  discovery, 
"there  shall  be  no  kings  upon  the  land,  who  shall  raise 
up  unto  the  Gentiles." 

It  is  remarkable  that  so  few  attempts  have  been  made 


And  Their  Fulfillment  137 

to  establish  thrones  in  America.  Perhaps  the  most  sub- 
stantial barrier  has  been  the  Monroe  Doctrine,  although, 
there  has,  for  the  most  part,  been  so  little  real  force  be- 
hind that  "doctrine"  that  its  very  weakness  has  invited 
more  than  one  European  monarch  to  attempt  to  "smash 
it."  Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  a  very  remarkable  thing 
that  the  Book  of  Mormon  decree  against  kings  should 
find  such  extraordinary  confirmation  as  this  very  his- 
toric pronouncement  affords. 

It  defied  all  the  world  to  attempt  to  set  up  any  author- 
ity of  their  own,  or  to  interfere  with  any  of  the  independ- 
ent governments  then  existing  in  North  or  South  Amer- 
ica. (According  to  Joseph  Smith  the  whole  of  America, 
both  North  and  South,  constitutes  the  land  of  Zion.) 

In  a  word  the  real  meaning  of  the  Monroe  Doctrine  is, 
"Hands  off"  and  that  too,  to  all  the  world.  Read  the 
Doctrine : 

"The  American  continents,  by  the  free  and  in- 
dependent condition  which  they  have  assumed  and 
maintain,  are  henceforth  not  to  be  considered  as 
subjects  for  future  colonization  for  European  pow- 
ers. .  .  .  We  should  consider  any  attempt  on 
their  part  to  extend  their  system  to  any  portion  of 
this  hemisphere  as  dangerous  to  our  peace  and 
safety.  With  the  existing  colonies  or  dependencies 
of  any  European  power  we  have  not  interfered  and 
shall  not  interfere.  But  with  the  governments  who 
have  declared  their  independence  and  maintained  it, 
and  whose  independence  we  have,  on  great  con- 
sideration and  just  principles,  acknowledged,  we 
could  not  view  any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of 
oppressing  or  controlling,  in  any  other  manner,  their 
destiny,  by  any  European  power,  in  any  other  light 


138  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

than  as  the  manifestation  of  an  unfriendly  disposi- 
tion toward  the  United  States." 

One  could  imagine  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  prophet 
might  have  been  standing  at  the  elbow  of  President 
Monroe  when  he  signed  the  document  as  it  was  handed 
to  him  by  his  Secretary  of  State,  John  Quincy  Adams. 
For  the  Monroe  Doctrine  is  nothing  more  than  the  Book 
of  Mormon  prophecy  put  in  the  form  of  a  state  paper. 
It  has  been  tested  and  tried.  It  has  been  called  the 
"most  magnificent  bluff  in  history,  and  so  far  the  most 
successful."  At  any  rate,  it  has  stood.  It  has  been 
affirmed  and  re-affirmed  by  President  after  President 
until  it  is  now  upheld  and  proclaimed  as  with  the  voice 
of  a  hundred  millions  of  people.  So  important  is  it  in 
the  estimation  of  many  of  the  American  people,  that  the 
proposed  League  of  Nations  is  not  considered  satis- 
factory to  this  country  until  the  other  nations  shall  not 
only  recognize  the  doctrine,  but  actually  accept  it,  and 
that,  too,  as  it  shall  at  all  times  be  interpreted  and  ap- 
plied by  the  United  States.  Could  a  great  nation  pur- 
sue a  definite  course  of  action  with  respect  to  a  fixed 
policy,  with  more  steadfast  purpose  than  our  nation 
has  in  maintaining  this  Doctrine?  For  well  nigh  one 
hundred  years  we  have  walked,  without  deviation,  in  the 
path  pointed  out  for  us  more  than  two  thousand  years 
ago  by  the  prophets  of  ancient  America. 

"THE  EMPIRE  OF  MEXICO." 

While  the  United  States  was  in  the  midst  of  the  great 
struggle  of  the  Civil  War,  Napoleon  III.  thought  the 
opportune  time  had  arrived  for  him  to  test  the  integrity 
of  the  Monroe  Doctrine.  France  had  long  appreciated 
the  strength  that  colonial  possessions  in  America  would 


And  Their  Fulfillment  139 

bring  to  her.  She  wished  to  extend  her  trade  in  that 
direction.  A  handsome  kingdom  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Atlantic  appealed  to  "Napoleon  the  Little"  as  an 
alluring  enterprise.  Especially,  if  it  proved  to  be  a 
kingdom  of  stability,  where  a  comfortable  throne  would 
be  made  secure.  So,  he  decided  to  try  it  out  on  some- 
body else  until  it  should  get  beyond  the  experimental 
stage.  Maximilian  of  Austria,  brother  of  the  late  Francis 
Joseph,  Emperor  of  Austria,  was  the  victim.  Archduke 
Maximilian  was  escorted  by  fifty  thousand  Frenchmen 
who  were  expected  to  see  that  he  did  not  fall  from  his 
"throne  of  Mexico."  With  this  French  army,  the  em- 
peror was  soon  in  control  of  strife-torn  Mexico.  He  was 
coronated  on  April  10,  1864.  The  United  States,  having 
on  its  hands  quite  a  little  domestic  problem,  could  not 
attend  the  coronation  ceremonies,  as  she  would  have 
liked.  She  thought  the  affair  should  have  been  delayed 
until  such  time  as  she  could  attend.  It  really  was  dis- 
courteous to  treat  a  close  neighbor  so.  The  United 
States  refused  to  recognize  the  empire.  And  when  our 
own  domestic  problem  was  finally  settled,  we  notified 
Napoleon  that  his  make-shift  "Emperor  of  Mexico"  was 
altogether  out  of  style  in  America  and  that  he  had  better 
take  him  back  to  Europe.  Secretary  Seward  had  also 
notified  him  that  we  could  not  allow  the  Monroe  Doc- 
trine to  be  so  infringed.  Napoleon  had  observed  what 
had  occurred  at  Vicksburg  and  Gettysburg  and  began 
to  lose  faith  in  the  success  of  his  would-be  ally,  the 
Southern  Confederacy.  In  1866  he  withdrew  his  fifty 
thousand  troops  from  Mexico.  He  was  about  to  take 
Maximilian  back,  when,  contrary  to  all  the  rules  of  eti- 
quette, the  Mexican  revolutionists  took  him  and  some  of 
his  generals  out  to  Queretaro,  where  they  were  court- 
martialed  and  shot  to  death.  Th  s  the  short-livpd  "F™ 


140  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

pire  of  Mexico"  proved  an  evanescent  dream,  coming  to 
a  quick  and  tragic  end. 

"There  shall  be  no  kings  raised  up  unto  the  Gentiles 
upon  this  land." 

UNHAPPY    DOM    PEDRO    OF    BRAZIL. 

It  is  true  that  an  Imperial  throne  was  established  in 
Brazil  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century.  It  passed 
through  many  vicissitudes  and  revolutions.  Emperors 
were  deposed;  regencies  reigned  for  juvenile  kings;  and, 
finally,  the  emperor  was  ordered  to  "leave  the  country 
with  his  family  within  twenty-four  hours."  In  the  dark 
of  the  night  the  imperial  family  was  taken  on  board  a 
cruiser.  When  the  ship  left  the  harbor  it  carried  with 
it,  not  only  the  royal  family,  but  as  if  to  rid  America  of 
every  vestige  of  imperialism  it  took  with  it  the  cata- 
falque, i.  e.  the  imperial  stage  with  all  its  pompous 
drapings,  throne  and  all. 

And  that  is  the  last  word  of  royal  occupancy  in  mod- 
ern times  of  any  fragment  of  both  North  and  South 
America. 

"This  shall  be  a  land  of  liberty  unto  the  Gentiles,  and 
there  shall  be  no  kings  upon  the  land." 


And  Their  Fulfillment  141 


Orson  Hyde 

"Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people  perish." 

— Proverbs. 

"Surely  the  Lord  God  will  do  nothing,  but     he  re- 
vealeth   his    secret   unto   his   servants   the   prophets."- 
Amos. 

The  life's  ministry  of  Orson  Hyde,  a  member  of  the 
quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  affords  some  interesting  as 
well  as  remarkable  instances  of  prophetic  manifestations 
and  their  striking  fulfillment.  It  is  used  as  a  demon- 
stration of  the  evidence  of  prophecy  which  has  char- 
acterized the  Gospel  dispensation  now  upon  the  earth. 
Time  affords  opportunity  to  verify  these  predictions. 
Some  of  them  arise  above  the  individual  into  the  domain 
of  racial,  if  not  world,  concern.  But,  in  every  instance, 
they  are  the  unmistakable  evidences  of  a  Divine  com- 
munication. Particular  interest  arises  out  of  the  re- 
cent occurrences  in  the  Far  East. 

Orson  Hyde  was  baptized  by  Sidney  Rigdon  in  the 
fall  of  1831,  and  was  confirmed  a  member  of  the  Church 
by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  He  was  called  to  the 
apostleship  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Three 
Witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  was  set  apart  to 
that  sacred  office  by  the  Witnesses  on  the  15th  day  of 
February,  1835.  Oliver  Cowdery  conferred  the  ordina- 
tion blessing,  and,  in  addition  to  other  endowments  of 


142  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

ordination,  blessed  him  in  the  spirit  of  prophecy  as  fol- 
lows: 

"That  he  should  go  forth  to  the  nations  of  the 
earth  to  proclaim  the  Gospel;  .  .  .  and  that 
he  should  go  forth  according  to  the  commandment, 
both  Jew  and  Gentile;  .  .  .  and  go  from  land 
to  land  and  from  sea  to  sea." 

At  the  time  of  his  confirmation  as  a  member  of  the 
Church,  or  subsequently,  he  was  blessed  by  Joseph  Smith 
with  the  prophetic  promises  that  follow: 

"In  due  time  thou  shall  go  to  Jerusalem,  the  land 
of  thy  fathers,  and  be  a  watchman  unto  the  house  of 
Israel;  and  by  thy  hands  shall  the  Most  High  do  a 
great  work,  which  shall  prepare  the  way  and  greatly 
facilitate  the  gathering  of  that  people" 

At  a  General  Conference  of  the  Church  held  on  April 
6,  1840,  at  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  Orson  Hyde  was  one  of  the 
speakers.  During  the  course  of  his  address  he  made  the 
very  remarkable  statement  that  "It  had  been  prophecied 
some  years  ago  that  he  had  a  great  work  to  perform 
among  the  Jews;  and  that  he  had  recently  been  moved 
upon  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  to  visit  that  people,  and 
gather  up  all  the  information  he  could  respecting  their 
movements,  expectations,  etc." 

The  conference  called  Mr.  Hyde  to  go  upon  this  his 
mission  to  Jerusalem.  Credentials  were  issued  to  him  set- 
ting forth  the  specific  work  he  was  to  perform  in  con- 
nection with  the  Jewish  people  and  their  re-establishment 
in  the  land  of  their  fathers.  The  document  runs  thus: 
"The  Jewish  nations  have  been  scattered  abroad  among 


And  Their  Fulfillment  143 

the  Gentiles  for  a  long  period;  and  in  our  estimation, 
the  time  of  the  commencement  of  their  return  to  the 
Holy  Land  has  already  arrived." 

His  mission  was  to  visit  the  cities  of  London,  Amster- 
dam, Constantinople,  and  Jerusalem.  He  was  to  "con- 
verse with  priests,  rulers  and  elders  of  the  Jews,"  etc. 
In  the  performance  of  this  mission,  Orson  Hyde  made  his 
way  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  spending  some  time  in  the 
several  cities  mentioned.  He  interviewed,  or  correspond- 
ed with,  the  leaders  of  Jewish  societies  in  all  of  these 
places.  In  London  he  communicated  with  the  Reverend 
Dr.  Solomon  Herschell,  President  Rabbi  of  the  He- 
brew Society  of  England,  to  whom  he  related  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  Divine  call  and  the  nature  of  the 
prophecy  pronounced  upon  his  head  about  nine  years  be- 
fore by  a  young  man  [Joseph  Smith]  with  whom  he  had 
at  that  time  but  a  short  acquaintance.  A  young  man, 
however,  to  whom  God  had  made  known  his  will  con- 
cerning many  things  that  were  to  come  to  pass  in  this 
day  and  age  of  the  world.  In  Berlin,  Mr.  Hyde  acquired 
some  knowledge  of  the  German  language  in  order  to  the 
better  carry  on  his  work  in  the  Orient  and  with  the 
Jewish  people  wherever  he  might  come  in  contact  with 
them. 

He  finally  reached  Jerusalem.  Early  in  the  morning 
of  October  24,  1841,  as  soon  as  the  gates  of  the  city  were 
opened,  he  went  outside  of  the  walls,  crossed  over  the 
Brook  Kedron  and  ascended  the  Mount  of  Olives.  There 
he  offered  a  prayer  to  God  and  dedicated  the  land  for  its 
rehabitation  by  the  Children  of  Israel  and  the  House  of 
Judah.  Here  are  a  few  of  the  petitions  that  went  up  to 
the  throne  of  the  God  of  Abraham  from  the  heart  of  this 
man  who  was  himself  a  descendant  of  Judah: 


144  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


"0,  Lord!  Thy  servant  has  been  obedient  to  the 
heavenly  vision  which  thou  gavest  him  in  his  native 
land;  under  the  shadow  of  thine  outstretched  arm, 
he  has  safely  arrived  in  this  place  to  dedicate  and 
consecrate  this  land  unto  thee,  for  the  gathering  to- 
gether of  Judah's  scattered  remnants,  according  to 
the  prediction  of  the  holy  prophets — for  the  build- 
ing up  of  Jerusalem  again  after  it  had  been  trodden 
down  by  the  Gentiles  so  long,  and  for  rearing  a 
temple  in  honor  of  thy  name.  .  .  .  Remove  the 
barrenness  and  sterility  of  this  land,  and  let  springs 
of  living  water  break  forth  to  water  its  thirsty  soil. 
.  .  .  Let  the  land  become  abundantly  fruitful 
when  possessed  by  its  rightful  heirs.  .  .  .  Let 
thy  great  kindness  conquer  and  subdue  the  unbelief 
of  thy  people.  Do  thou  take  from  them  their  stony 
heart,  and  give  them  a  heart  of  flesh.  .  .  .  In- 
cline them  to  gather  in  upon  this  land  according  to 
thy  word.  .  .  .  Do  thou  now  also  be  pleased  to 
inspire  the  hearts  of  kings  and  the  powers  of  the 
earth  to  look  with  a  friendly  eye  towards  this  place, 
with  a  desire  to  see  thy  righteous  purposes  executed 
in  relation  thereto.  Let  them  know  that  it  is  thy 
good  pleasure  to  restore  the  Kingdom  to  Israel- 
raise  up  Jerusalem  as  its  capital,  and  constitute  her 
people  a  distinct  people  and  government.  .  .  . 
Let  that  nation  or  that  people  who  shall  take  an 
active  part  in  behalf  of  Abraham's  children,  and  in 
the  raising  up  of  Jerusalem,  find  favor  in  thy  sight. 
Let  not  their  enemies  prevail  against  them,  neither 
pestilence  or  famine  overcome  them,  but  let  the 
glory  of  Israel'  overshadow  them,  and  the  power  of 
the  highest  protect  them;  while  that  nation  or  king- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  145 

dom  that  will  not  serve  thee  in  this  glorious  work 
must  perish,  according  to  thy  word — 'Yea,  those  na- 
tions shall  be  utterly  wasted.' ' 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  prayer  Orson  Hyde  erected 
a  monument  of  stones  in  commemoration  of  the  discharge 
of  his  sacred  mission.  He  finished  his  work  in  Jerusa- 
lem and  then  proceeded  on  his  way  back  to  continental 
Europe  and  England.  While  on  his  way  he  addressed  a 
letter  to  Parley  P.  Pratt,  then  editing  the  Millennial  Star, 
in  Manchester,  dated  Trieste.  January  1-18,  1842.  This 
letter  purports  to  be  a  report  of  his  labors  and  expe- 
riences in  the  Holy  Land.  This  communication,  as  well 
as  others  from  him  were  published  in  the  Millennial  Star, 
the  official  journal  of  the  European  Mission.  It  ap- 
peared in  volume  II,  pages  166-169.  Numerous  copies 
of  this  near-four-score-old  volume  are  in  existence  to- 
day. The  extract  that  follows  was  taken  direct  from  the 
lime-stained  pages  of  which  we  produce  a  photograph 
for  the  readers'  examination. 

This  volume  of  the  Star  is  extremely  valuable  for  the 
reason  that  it  establishes  beyond  all  doubt  and  cavil 
the  specific  performance  of  the  particular  mission  that 
the  spirit  of  prophecy  declared  Orson  Hyde  should  per- 
form, providing  a  devoled  effort  were  made  by  him  to 
perform  the  mission.  This  publication  also  possesses 
unusual  interest  and  testamentary  value  in  that  it  con- 
tains a  prophecy  made  by  Orson  Hyde  concerning  a 
great  historical  event  that  has  recently  transpired  and 
at  the  same  time  fixes  with  positive  certainty  the  genu- 
ineness of  the  prophecy  as  well  as  its  remote  antiquity. 

Here  is  the  prophecy: 

"It  was  by  political  power  and  influence  that  the 
Jewish  nation  was   broken  down,  and  her  subjects 


146 


Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


SAINTS' 


MILLENNIAL   STAE, 

EDITED  ANT)  PUBLISHED  03Y  P.  P.  PRATT, 

4>;  OXFOttD  STREET,  MANX' HESTER, 
JN    MONTHLY    NUMBERS,    PRICE    THREEPENCE. 


No.  11. 


MARPH..1&4?. 


CONTKNTS:  '' 

170 

Late  Intelligence  from  Joseph  SrriUh  and 
the  Mormons  ,.  16« 

Oo  -the  Influence  of  V'alxc  Spirits.      . 

1T-2 

Gonferencic  S'otltc  :  

171 

Highly  Interesting  from  Jcru»»lt:m  lf>i 

I7(         ' 

l\>».trv 

I7« 

- 

RUINS  IN  CENTRAL  AMERICA,    his  ercs.    Representations  , 

'   iKtKRKSTIMJ     VHOM    JI-HTS.M.I  M. 

cal  power  and  influence  that  the,  JewNh     t«'uvard«  JrrnsaK-m,  as    the    lender  and 
nalion  was  broken  down,  and  her  siih-     offrriii.nate  moihet  looks  upon  the  home 
•  jectfc  disprsi'd  abipad  ;  and  I   will  lic-r.;     uli-  re  .<lie  loft  her  lovely  lillk  habc." 
hazard   the    opinion,    that    bv    puli: 
power  and  ivfl^nc-Ml^y  Kill  he  Kaih,-r?l 
and  built  up;  and  further,  thn^  l-!ii^lhtn|.  • 
i»  destined  'in  th<b  wisdom  and  rronomv 
»f  lu-avm   H)  stroU-li   f^rth    the   arm   «" 
political  power, 
ranks   of  thin 
I^ord  once  raist'-d   uj,  .- 

.   bin  that  wiisYioii-vMi-nrt-  that      awvj'ifdeiivijiiriinr  to   si<.p    'tis  . 

he  -owned  ib.-  r.-ligiou  of  the  IVrMru.s.  We  l'»ve  had  rtvcral  discussions,  in  nil 
This  opinion  I  submit,  ho-.vev.rr.  to  jonr  of  which  }he  Saints  eame  off  victorioun, 
aqpcrior  wijdom  lo  Correct  if-yc^i  shall-  »hir)>'  s«-t  the.  Priestt  of  Babol  mad. 
fuul  it  wrohg.  There  are  some  honest  eren  aronngtt 

"There  U  an    increasinp  anxiety  in     tior  enemies,  ^that  ^  wish  for  truth,  and   -^ 


:   FROM   GI.ASCSOW 


"    Heloved  Hi  oiher  Pratt, 


ower,  and  advance  in  the  frofcl 


.  down  to   inform   you    thai 

thin  ^orioiis  entcrpruc.  .  Tlic  •  'lie  work  of  l^)e   I^rd  is  still  on 
e  raist'-d   uj,  .-,   Cvnis  t",f  nWpe     vanoe,  although  Salan  and  bis  servants. 

' 


Photograph  of  the  remarkable  prophecy  of  Orson  Hyde  con- 
cerning the  re-gathering  of  the  Jews  in  Palestine,  and  the  part 
that  England  was  destined  to  take  in  that  enterprise,  as  published 
to  the  world  in  the  Millennial  Star,  March,  1842,  seventy  five  years 
before  the  taking  of  Jerusalem  by  General  Allenby,  at  the  head 
of  English  troops,  December  11,  1917. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  147 

dispersed  abroad;  and  I  will  here  hazard  the  opinion, 
that  by  political  power  and  influence  they  will  be 
gathered  and  built  up;  and  further,  that  England  is 
destined  in  the  wisdom  and  economy  of  heaven  to 
stretch  forth  the  arm  of  political  power  and  advance- 
in  the  front  ranks  of  this  glorious  enterprise." 

Perhaps  a  hundred  prophets  have  predicted  the  re- 
establishment  of  the  Jews  in  the  land  of  their  fathers, 
but  this  prophecy  stands  out  with  singular  conspicuous- 
ness  in  that  it  foretells,  seventy-five  years  before  the 
event  occurs,  the  very  nation  that  shall  be  instrumental 
in  the  accomplishment,  by  political  power  and  influence, 
of  the  great  enterprise.  The  taking  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
British  forces  is  obviously  the  fulfillment  of  this  proph- 
ecy. 

During  the  recent  war,  after  a  long  and  hazardous 
campaign,  the  city  of  Jerusalem  was  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously surrounded.  Its  capitulation  was  inevitable.  Gen- 
eral Sir  Edmund  Allenby,  with  his  troops  took  peace- 
able possession  on  December  10,  1917.1  On  the  follow- 
ing day  he  passed  through  the  gates  of  the  ancient  city 
and  at  once  established  martial  law  and  assumed  polit- 
ical control  of  the  city.  He  cabled  to  his  government 
the  following  report: 

"I  entered  the  city  officially  at  noon  on  December 
llth,  with  a  few  of  my  staff,  the  commanders  of 
the  French  and  Italian  detachments,  the  heads  of  the 
political  missions,  and  the  military  attaches  of 
France,  Italy  and  America." 


1In  a  readable  article  on  Orson  Hyde's  mission  to  Palestine 
published  in  the  Relief  Society  Magazine,  April,  1919,  the  in- 
teresting disclosure  is  made  that  a  grand-nephew  of  Orson  Hyde 
was  with  General  Allenby  when  Jerusalem  was  taken. 


148 


Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


(.\Y.\Y.\\\\.     \I.I.K\BY    AT    THE    HEAD    OF    THE    BRITISH    TRC)OP> 

INC  Jr.ui  -\J.I:M.  DI.CI.MHKK   1  ITU.  1917. 

"England  is  destined  in  the  icisdom  and  economy  of  heaien  to 
stretch  forth  the  arm  of  political  power,  and  advance  in  the  front 
ranks  of  this  glorious  enterprise." -Orson  H\de.  Januarv.  1842. 
(See  M'lilenniaf  .S'/,/r.  Vol.  1>.  p.  168-9  1842.) 


And  Their  Fulfillment  149 

There  was  uno  pageantry  of  arms;  no  display  of  pomp 
and  circumstance  of  an  army  victorious  in  war;  no 
thunderous  salutes  acclaimed  the  victory;  no  flags  were 
hoisted;  no  enemy  flag  was  hauled  down;  no  soldiers 
shouted  in  triumph — just  a  short  military  procession 
took  place  in  the  Mount  Zion  quarter,  two  hundred  yards 
from  the  walls." 

In  the  days  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  not  a 
stone  was  to  be  left  upon  another,  but  in  the  days  of 
her  redemption  from  Turkish  or  Gentile  rule  there  was 
not  a  stone  disturbed  or  "an  inch  of  ground  destroyed." 
The  whole  wonderful  and  interesting  performance  was 
as  though  it  were  a  solemn  religious  ceremony — so  be- 
fitting the  place  held  sacred  as  the  birth-place  of  three 
of  the  world's  great  religions. 

That  the  populace,  a  veritable  polyglot,  might  know 
how  great  was  the  liberty  thus  peaceably  come  to  them 
the  General  issued  the  following  proclamation,  and  had 
it  posted  in  conspicuous  places  in  the  Arabic,  Hebrew, 
English,  French,  Italian,  Greek  and  Russian  tongues: 

"PROCLAMATION. 

"To  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  the  blessed  and 
the  people  dwelling  in  its  vicinity: 

"The  defeat  inflicted  upon  the  Turks  by  the  troops 
under  my  command  has  resulted  in  the  occupation 
of  your  city  by  my  forces.  I,  therefore,  here  now 
proclaim  it  to  be  under  martial  law,  under  which 
form  of  administration  it  will  remain  so  long  as 
military  considerations  make  necessary.  However, 
lest  any  of  you  be  alarmed  by  reason  of  your  expe- 
rience at  the  hands  of  the  enemy  who  has  retired,  I 
hereby  inform  you  that  it  is  my  desire  that  every  per- 


150  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

son  should  pursue  his  lawful  business  without  fear 
of  interruption. 

"Furthermore  since  your  city  is  regarded  with 
affection  by  the  adherents  of  three  of  the  great  relig- 
ions of  mankind  and  its  soil  had  been  consecrated 
by  the  prayers  and  pilgrimages  of  multitudes  of  de- 
vout people  of  these  three  religions  for  many  cen- 
turies, therefore,  do  I  make  it  known  to  you  that 
every  sacred  building,  monument,  holy  spot,  shrine, 
traditional  site,  endowment,  pious  bequest,  or  cus- 
tomary place  of  prayer  of  whatsoever  form  of  the 
three  religions  will  be  maintained  and  protected 
according  to  the  customs  of  those  to  whose  faith 
they  are  sacred." 

The  dismemberment  of  the  Turkish  Empire  began  with 
the  preparation  of  the  peace  treaty.  Mandatories  were 
to  be  established  thereby  relieving  the  Ottoman  of  much 
of  his  responsibility  in  administering  the  affairs  of 
European  territory.  Syria  was  assigned  to  France; 
Armenia  was  made  an  independent  republic;  and  Mesopo- 
tamia and  Palestine  were  placed  under  British  manda- 
tory. 

Current  History  says  of  this  great  procedure: 

"The  moving  factor  in  bringing  about  Turkey's 
vast  territorial  loss  was  Great  Britain,  which,  defacto 
if  not  de  jure,  has  become  the  mandatory.  Although 
France  owns  from  sixty  to  sixty-five  per  cent  of  the 
Ottoman  bonds,  an  Englishman,  Sir  Adam  Block,  is 
president  of  the  Debt  Association.  Although  French, 
Italian  and  Greek  troops  may  independetly  protect 
the  portions  of  the  empire  to  be  administered  bv 
their  respective  governments,  the  British  general  will 
enforce  the  terms  of  Constantinople,  and  even  the 


And  Their  Fulfillment  151 

sanctity  of  the  harems  will  no  longer  be  observed 
by  his  agents  in  search  of  forced  alien  converts  to 
Islam." 

The  attitude  of  the  British  government  with  respect 
to  the  future  of  Palestine  was  clearly  defined  in  the  decla- 
ration of  Mr.  Balfour,  on  November  2,  1917.  This 
declaration  was  approved  by  France,  Italy  and  President 
Wilson.  The  letter  containing  the  declaration  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  head  of  the  British  Zionist  organization. 
It  read: 

"His  Majesty's  Government  view  with  favor  the 
establishment  in  Palestine  of  a  national  home  for 
the  Jewish  people  and  will  use  their  best  endeavors 
to  facilitate  the  achievement  of  this  object,  it  being 
clearly  understood  that  nothing  shall  be  done  which 
may  prejudice  the  civil  and  religious  rights  of  ex- 
isting non-Jewish  communities  in  Palestine  or  the 
rights  and  political  status  enjoyed  by  Jews  in  any 
other  country." 

The  adoption  of  the  Zionist  movement  as  a  national 
policy  with  respect  to  Palestine  by  Great  Britain  has 
given  the  greatest  impetus  to  that  cause.  Jews  all  the 
world  around  have  turned  their  eyes  toward  the  city  of 
David.  Vast  sums  of  money  are  being  raised  for  the 
purpose  of  rebuilding  Jerusalem.  The  ancient  law  of 
tithes  is  being  invoked  to  that  appropriate  end.  Alreadv 
a  great  university  is  under  construction  in  the  Holy  City 
and  eminent  professors  from  Berlin  and  other  great 
cities  are  registered  for  service  there.  The  British  Gov- 
ernment has  placed  Sir  Herbert  Samuel  as  British  High 
Commissioner  in  Palestine  and  his  administration  of  af- 
fairs is  already  under  way  in  Jerusalem.  This  Jew  is 


152  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

backed  by  greater  power   and   authority   than  was  ever 
enjoyed  by  Solomon  in  all  his  regal  glor\. 

When  Orson  Hyde  dedicated  Palestine  for  the  rc-gath- 
ering  of  the  children  of  Abraham  there  were  rot  more 
than  seven  thousand  Hebrews  in  the  Sacred  (.it\.  The 
Jewish  population,  in  spite  of  a  most  intolerant  hostility 
to  the  race  has  been  steadily  on  the  increase  from  that 
time  until  today  its  Jewish  population  is  approximately 
fifty  thousand.  With  wealth  and  political  backing  from 
Great  Britain,  and  other  powerful  nations  furthering  the 
Zionist  movement,  shall  we  not  soon  see  them  "come  like 
clouds  and  like  doves  to  their  \\indo\\ >."  a>  ()i>on  Hyde 
prayed  they  might,  in  loll  ?  One  of  the  leading  officers 
of  the  /iojiist  movement  promi>e>  the  establishment  of 
fifty  thousand  immigrant  Jew>  in  Palestine  wilhin  tin1 
year.  In  the  transpiring  of  these  very  recent  events 
we  perceive  the  literal  fulfillment  of  prophecies  that 
were  uttered  four  >core  year-  or  more  ago.  The>e 
prophecies  had  all  but  become  obscured  by  the  many 
years  that  have  lapsed  and  the  general  ru>h  of  world 
events  that  had  been  going  on.  Hut  \\hen  the  time  of 
the  Lord  arrived  hi>  word  was  fulfilled,  and  we  who  read 
lhe>e  pointed  prophecies,  dug  up  from  the  past,  become 
\vitnes>e>  ol  (iod's  power.  They  are  testimonies  to  us. 

I  See    Appendix    lor   the    prayer   of  Orson    Hyde   on   the 
Mount    of   ()li\e>.  i 


And  Their  Fulfillment  153 


The  Date  of  Birth  and  Crucifixion 
of  the  Lord 

Litlle  accurate  information  is  obtainable  from  Bibli- 
cal scholars  concerning  the  actual  date  of  the  birth  of 
the  Savior.  Many  traditions  on  the  question  have  been 
handed  down  to  us  from  the  earlier  writers,  both  pro- 
fane and  sacred.  Dean  Farrar,  in  his  Life  of  Christ, 
under  an  excursus  in  the  Appendix,  frankly  admits  the 
hopelessness  of  the  problem  in  these  words:  "All  at- 
tempts to  discover  the  month  and  day  of  the  nativity  are 
useless.  No  data  whatever  exist  to  enable  us  to  deter- 
mine them  with  even  approximate  accuracy." 

Edersheim  in  his  work,  under  an  appendix  (vii)  says 
regarding  the  date  of  birth,  etc.:  "At  the  outset  it  must 
be  admitted,  that  absolute  certainy  is  impossible  as  to 
the  exact  date  of  Christ's  Nativity — the  precise  year 
even,  and  still  more  the  month  and  the  day." 

The  Encyclopedia  Brittanica,  in  an  article  written  by 
Frederic  W.  Farrar,  above  quoted,  says: 

"As  to  the  day  and  month  of  the  nativity  it  is 
certain  that  they  can  never  be  recovered;  they  were 
absolutely  unknown  to  the  early  fathers,  and  there  is 
scarcely  one  month  in  the  year  which  has  not  been 
fixed  upon  as  probable  by  modern  critics.  The  date 
now  observed — December  25th — cannot  be  traced 
further  back  than  the  middle  of  the  4th  century,  but 
was  adopted  by  St.  Jerome,  St.  Augustine,  Orosius, 
and  Sulpicius  Severus,  and  in  the  east  by  St.  Chrysos- 
tom  and  St.  Gregory  of  Nyssa." 


154  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

Dr.  Smith  in  his  dictionary  reviews  the  best  known 
calculations,  and  toward  the  end  of  his  article  says: 

"Wieseler  followed  a  line  of  calculation  and 
placed  the  birth  at  January  10th.  Greswell,  how- 
ever, from  the  same  starting  point,  arrives  at  the 
date  of  April  5th." 

He  adds: 

"And  when  two  writers  so  laborious  can  thus  dif- 
fer in  their  conclusion!,  we  must  rather  suspect  the 
soundness  of  their  method  than  the  accuracy  of  the 
use  of  it." 

And  again  the  same  author  says: 

"Similar  differences  will  be  found  amongst  emin- 
ent writers  in  every  part  of  the  chronology  of  the 
gospels.  For  example,  the  birth  of  our  Lord  is 
placed  in  B.  C.  1  by  Pearson  and  Hug;  B.  C.  2  by 
Scaliger;  B.  C.  3  by  Baronius;  Calvisius,  Suskind, 
and  Paulus;  B.  C.  4  by  Lamy,  Bengel,  Anger,  Wiese- 
ler, and  Greswell;  B.  C.  5  by  Usher  and  Patavius; 

B.  C.  7  by  Ideler  and  Sanclemente.     And  whilst  the 
calculations  given  above  seem  sufficient  to  determine 
us,   Lanly,   Usher,   Patavius,   Bengel,   Wieseler,   and 
Greswell  to  the  close  of  B.  C.  5  or  early  part  of  B. 

C.  4,  let  it  never  be  forgotten  that  there  is  a  dis- 
tinction between  these  researches,  which   the  Holy 
Spirit  has  left  obscure  and  doubtful  and  the  'weight- 
ier matters'  of  the  Gospel,  the  things  which  directly 
pertain  to  man's  salvation." 

Edersheim  in  his  "Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Mes- 
siah" (Oxford  1886)  justifies  the  traditional  Christmas 
observation  of  the  nativity.  He  says: 


And  Their  Fulfillment  155 

"It  was,  then,  on  that  'wintry  night'  of  the  25th  of 
December,  that  shepherds  watched  the  flocks  des- 
tined for  sacrificial  services,  in  the  very  place  con- 
secrated by  tradition  as  that  where  the  Messiah  was 
to  be  first  revealed." 

Continuing  in  a  foot  note: 

"There  is  no  adequate  reason  for  questioning  the 
accuracy  of  this  date.  The  objections  generally  made 
rest  on  grounds  which  seem  to  me  historically  un- 
tenable. The  subject  has  been  fully  discussed  in  an 
article  by  Cassel  in  Hertzog's  Real.  Encyc.  xvii,  pp. 
588-594.  But  a  curious  piece  of  evidence  comes  from 
a  Jewish  scource.  In  the  addition  to  the  Megillath 
Taanith,  the  9th  Tebbeth  [a  Jewish  calendar  month] 
is  marked  as  a  fast  day,  and  it  is  added,  that  the  rea- 
son for  this  is  not  stated.  Now,  Jewish  chronologists 
have  fixed  on  that  day  as  that  of  Christ's  birth,  and 
it  is  remarkable  that,  between  the  years  500  and  816 
A.  D.  the  25th  of  December  fell  no  less  than  12 
times  on  the  9th  Tebbeth.  If  the  9th  Tebbeth,  or 
25th  December,  was  regarded  as  the  birthday  of 
Christ,  we  can  understand  the  concealment  about  it." 

Joseph  Smith,  in  the  History  of  the  Church,  as  if  per- 
fectly oblivious  to  all  these  well  established  traditions 
and  world-wide  observances,  makes  this  entry: 

"In  this  manner  did  the  Lord  continue  to  give  us 
instructions  from  time  to  time,  concerning  the  duties 
which  now  devolved  upon  us;  and  among  many  oth- 
er things  of  the  kind,  we  obtained  of  him  the  follow- 
ing, by  the  spirit  of  prophecy  and  revelation;  which 
not  only  gave  us  much  information,  but  also  pointed 
out  to  us  the  precise  day  upon  which,  according  to  his 


156  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

will    and   commandment,    we   should   proceed   to   or- 
ganize his  Church  once  more  here  upon  the  earth. 

"The  rise  of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  these  last 
days,  being  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirt\ 
years  since  the  coming  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesu> 
Christ  in  the  flesh,  it  being  regularly  organized  and 
established  agreeable  to  the  laws  of  our  country.  \*} 
the  will  and  and  commandment  of  God,  in  the  fourth 
month,  and  on  the  sixth  day  of  the  month  which  > 
called  April."  <  Doc.  and  Cov.,  Sec.  20. 1 

On  the  6th  day  of  April,  18o->.  the  following  appear.- 
in  the  Church  History,  which  \\a>  kept  by.  or  under,  the 
:lii  eel  ion  of  Joseph  Smith: 

"About  eighty  officials,  together  with  some  un- 
official mrmlxTs  of  the  Church,  met  for  instruction 
and  the  service  of  God,  at  the  Ferry  on  the  P>ig  lilu:- 
Kiver.  near  the  western  limits  of  Jackson  county. 
which  is  the  boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Missouri 
and  also  of  the  United  States.  It  \\as  an  early 
spring  and  the  leaves  and  blossoms  enlivened  and 
gratified  the  soul  of  man  like  a  glimpse  of  paradise. 
The  day  was  spent  in  a  very  agreeable  manner,  i" 
giving  and  receiving  knowledge  which  appertained 
to  this  last  kingdom — //  being  just  1800  years  since 
the  Savior  laid  dowti  his  life  that  men  might  hare 
everlasting  life.  .  .  .  This  was  the  first  attempt 
made  by  the  Church  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of 
her  birthday."  I  History  of  Church,  Vol.  I,  p.  3:16.  i 

We  do  not  know  that  the  Church  is  technically  com- 
mitted to  the  date  above  indicated  as  that  of  the  date  of 
the  crucifixion.  We  know  of  no  other  passage  in  our 
standard  works  that  confirms  this  idea,  nor  do  we  hold 


And  Their  Fulfillment  157 

any  tradition  on  the  subject  that  supports  the  suggestion. 
So  far  as  the  authoritative  declarations  of  the  Church 
are  concerned  there  is,  perhaps,  nothing  that  approaches 
the  subject  as  near  as  the  above  extract.  This  statement 
cannot  be  given  the  same  weight  and  significance  that 
attaches  to  the  one  taken  from  the  revelation  directing 
that  the  Church  be  organized  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
Lord's  birth,  viz:  April  6,  (1830).  While  we  make 
these  precautionary  observations,  on  the  other  hand,  we 
k  o\v  of  no  reason  why  the  use  of  the  word  "just"  should 
be  deprived  of  the  significance  with  which  the  prophet 
might  possibly  have  expressly  wished  to  invest  it.  At 
a  y  rate,  a  little  research  on  the  technical  subject  is  re- 
paid by  a  disclosure  of  relevant  matter  that  would  al- 
mos'  conclusively  vindicate  the  inspiration  of  the  proph- 
et. We  submit,  later,  some  of  these  illuminating  find- 
ings for  their  value  to  the  studiously  inclined. 

The  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  in  giving  a  historical  treat- 
ise on  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  opens  the  article  thus: 
"Founder  of  Christianity;  born  at  Nazareth  about  2  B. 
C.  Executed  at  Jerusalem  14th  of  Nisan." 

In  another  place,  under  the  heading,  "Date  of  Jesus' 
Crucifixion/'  the  Encyclopedia  says: 

"The  greatest  difficulty  from  the  point  of  view  of 
the  Jewish  penal  procedure  is  presented  by  the  day 
and  time  of  the  execution.  According  to  the  Gospels 
Jesus  died  on  Friday,  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath.  Yet 
on  that  day,  in  view  of  the  approach  of  the  Sabbath 
(or  holiday)  executions  lasting  until  late  in  the  after- 
noon were  almost  impossible.  The  Synoptics  do  not 
agree  with  John  on  the  date  of  the  month.  Accord- 
ing to  the  latter  he  died  on  the  14th  of  Nisan,  as 
though  he  were  the  Paschal  lamb;  but  executions 


158  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

were  certainly  not  regular  on  the  eve  of  a  Jewish 
holiday.  According  to  the  Synoptics,  the  date  of  the 
death  was  the  15th  of  Nisan  [first  day  of  the  Pass- 
over], when  again  no  execution  could  be  held.  This 
discrepancy  has  given  rise  to  various  attempts  at 
rectification.  That  by  Chwolson  is  the  most  ingeni- 
ous, assuming  that  Jesus  died  on  the  14th,  and  ac- 
counting for  the  error  in  Matthew  by  a  mistransla- 
tion from  the  original  in  the  Hebrew  Matt.  17  [here 
follow  Hebrew  characters  in  confirmation  of  the 
claim].  But  even  so,  the  whole  artifical  construc- 
tion of  the  law  regarding  the  Passover  when  the 
15th  of  Nisan  was  on  Saturday,  attempted  by  Chwol- 
son, would  not  remove  the  difficulty  of  an  execu- 
tion occurring  on  Friday  eve  of  the  Sabbath  and  eve 
of  holiday;  and  the  body  could  not  have  been  re- 
moved as  late  as  the  ninth  hour  (3  p.  m.).  Bodies 
of  delinquents  were  not  buried  in  private  graves, 
while  that  of  Jesus  was  buried  in  a  sepulchre  be- 
longing to  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  Besides  this,  penal 
jurisdiction  had  been  taken  from  the  Sanhedrin  in 
capitol  cases  'for  forty  years  before  the  fall  of  the 
Temple.' ' 

The  Jewish  Encyclopedia  (a  monumental  work  pub- 
lished in  America,  1901,  the  compilation  of  which  is 
said  to  be  the  greatest  achievement  in  the  history  of 
that  race  since  the  dispersion  and  the  fall  of  Jerusalem) 
says  that  the  Jewish  month  Nisan  "coincides,  approxi- 
mately, with  the  month  of  April.  It  is  a  sacred  month," 
etc.  This  correspondence  of  the  two  months  would  not 
be  exact  for  the  reason  that  the  Jewish  calendar  pro- 
vided for  months  of  equal  length,  from  moon  to  moon 
and  otherwise  disposed  of  the  surplus  days  left  over  at 


And  Their  Fulfillment  159 

the  passing  of  the  twelve  months.  Hence  the  word  "ap- 
proximately." Dr.  William  Smith  in  his  celebrated 
Dictionary  of  the  Bible  translates  the  Jewish  months 
and  days  into  what  would  be  the  corresponding  dates 
in  our  calendar.  In  treating  the  Life  of  Jesus,  Dr. 
Smith  follows  the  events  towards  the  close,  day  by  day, 
giving  dates  in  both  calendars  thus:  "Thursday,  the  14th 
of  Nisan  (April  6th)."  Accordingly  the  following  table 
would  be  of  Dr.  Smith's  calculations: 

Wednesday  13th  Nisan  correpsonding  to  April  5th 
Thursday  14th  Nisan  corresponding  to  April  6th 
Friday  15th  Nisan  corresponding  to  April  7th 
Saturday  16th  Nisan  corresponding  to  April  8th 

Under  the  heading  of  the  Passover  this  eminent  author- 
ity in  treating  on  the  Last  Supper  of  the  Lord  makes  this 
observation  (Vol.  3,  Amer.  Ed.  p.  2348)  : 

"If  it  be  granted  that  the  supper  was  eaten  on  the 
evening  of  the  14th  of  Nisan,  the  apprenhension> 
trial  and  crucifixion  of  our  Lord  must  have  occurred 
on  Friday  the  15th,  the  day  of  convocation,  which 
was  the  first  of  the  seven  days  of  the  Passover  week. 
The  weekly  Sabbath  on  which  he  lay  in  the  tomb 
was  the  16th,  and  the  Sunday  of  the  resurrection  was 
the  17th." 

As  the  discussion  of  the  subject  proceeds  in  the  article 
this  statement  occurs: 

"If  we  admit,  in  accordance  with  the  first  view  of 
these  passages,  that  the  Last  Supper  was  on  the  13th 
of  Nisan  our  Lord  must  have  been  crucified  on  the 
14th,  the  day  on  which  the  paschal  lamb  was  slain 
and  eaten." 


160  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

By  reference  to  the  above  table  it  will  be  seen  that  this 
conclusion,  if  accepted,  would  place  the  date  of  the 
crucifixion  on  April  6th.  Passing  to  a  more  technical 
consideration  of  the  controversy,  Dr.  Smith  perfects  an 
alignment  of  the  scholars  into  two  groups.  One  of  these 
contending  for  the  13th  of  Nisan  as  the  date  of  the  Last 
Supper  and  consequently  for  the  April  6th  as  the  date 
of  the  crucifixion,  as  that  tragic  event  occurred  on  the 
day  following  the  day  of  the  Supper.  Later  on  this 
paragraph  appears: 

"The  current  of  opinion  in  modern  times  has  -••! 
in  favor  of  taking  the  more  obviou>  interpretation 
of  the  passage  in  St.  John,  that  the  Supper  \va>  eaten 
on  the  l.'Jlh.  and  that  our  Lord  \\a>  crucified  on  lh»* 
1  1th." 

This  would  he  \pril  (>\\\.  a>  pre\i<m>lv  pointed  out. 
Belonging  to  this  group  of  scholar-  he  pre>ent>  the  fol- 
lowing array  of  rc<  -ngni/ed  authorities  Lucke.  Ideler. 
Hitman.  Blrek.  I )e  \\ette.  Neander,  Tischendorf,  \\iner. 
Meyer,  Bruckner.  Kwald,  Holt/mann.  (iodel.  (laspari. 
Baur,  llilgenfeld.  Scholten.  Khrard  I  formerly  I.  Alford. 
Ellicott;  of  earlier  cri'io.  Kra-mu-.  (irotiu>.  Niicer. 
Carp/of. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  ariicle  thi>  interesting  allusion 
i>  made : 

"There  is  a  strange  >tory  preserved  in  the  (/em  is  - 
i  Sanhedrin,  vi:  2,  i.  e.,  the  Jewish  Talmud  I  that  our 
Lord  having  vainly  endeavored  during  forty  days 
to  find  an  advocate,  was  sentenced,  and  on  the  1  1th 
of  Nisan,  stoned  and  afterwards  hanged.'" 

In  a  footnote  this  observation  is  made: 

"Other    Rabbinical     authorities    countenance     the 


And  Their  Fulfillment  161 

statement  that  Christ  was  executed  on  the  14th  of  the 
month.  See  Jost.  Judenth  1,404." 

To  this  imposing  group  of  critics  who  stood  for  the 
date  of  April  6th  as  the  date  of  the  crucifixion,  Dr. 
Smith  adds  the  illustrious  names  of  Clement  of  Alex- 
andria [b.  150,  d.  220  A.  D.]  and  Origen,  [2  C.]  men 
who  lived  back  in  the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era, 
and  to  whom  traditions  must  have  been  fresh  and  new. 
He  says  that  Chrysostom  [347-407  A.  D.]  expresses 
himself  doubtfully  between  the  two  dates,  and  that  St. 
Augustine  [354-430  A.  D.]  was  in  favor  of  the  14th. 

The  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  Vol.  8,  says  Jesus  died 
on  Fiiday  the  15th  of  Nisan.  This  would  make  it  the 
7:h  of  April. 

The  late  Dean  Farrar  in  his  Life  of  Christ  [1874], 
under  the  heading,  "Was  the  Last  Supper  an  Actual 
Passover?"  discusses  at  some  length  the  actual  date  of 
the  crucifixion.  A  few  excerpts  from  this  excursus  will 
throw  added  light  upon  the  subject  under  consideration. 
They  follow: 

"It  is  certain,  and  it  is  all  but  universally  ac- 
knowledged, being  expressly  stated  by  all  the 
Evangelists,  that  our  Lord  was  crucified  on  Friday 
and  rose  on  Sunday,  lying  during  the  hours  of  the 
Jewish  Sabbath  in  the  tomb  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea. 
It  is  therefore  certain  that  he  ate  his  Last  Supper, 
and  instituted  the  Eucharist,  on  the  evening  of 
Thursday;  but  was  this  Last  Supper  the  actual 
Paschal  Feast,  or  an  anticipation  of  it?  Was  it 
eaten  on  Nisan  13,  or  Nisan  14,  i.  e.  in  the  year  of 
the  crucifixion  did  the  first  day  of  the  Passover  be- 
gin on  the  evening  of  a  Thursday  or  on  the  evening 

of  a  Friday?     .     .     . 
12 


162  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

"Now  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  Synoptists  are 
unanimous  in  the  use  of  expressions  \vhich  admit  of 
no  natural  explanation  except  in  the  supposition  that 
the  Passover  did  begin  on  the  evening  of  Thursday, 
and  therefore  Thursday  was  Nisan  14,  [this  would 
be  April  6th  according  to  Dr.  Smilh's  table. — N.  L. 
M.]  and  that  the  Last  Supper  was  in  reality  the  or- 
dinary Paschal  Feast." 

The  four  pages   of  careful   treatment   of  the   subject 
concludes  with  this  paragraph : 

"To  sum  up,  then,  it  seems  to  me,  from  careful  and 
repeated  study  of  much  that  has  been  written  on  this 
subject  by  many  of  the  best  and  most  thoughtful 
writers,  that  Jesus  al»  hi-  Last  Supper  with  the  dis- 
ciples on  the  evening  of  Thursday,  Nisan  13  i.  e.  at 
the  time  when,  according  to  Jewish  reckoning,  the 
14th  of  Nisan  began:  [this  was,  consequently,  the 
day  of  the  crucifixion,  or,  aconling  to  Dr.  Smith, 
as  above  observed,  April  6th.]  That  this  supper  was 
not,  and  was  not  intended  to  be  the  actual  Paschal 
meal,  which  neither  was  nor  could  be  legally  eaten 
till  the  following  evening;  but  by  a  perfectly  natural 
identification,  and  one  which  would  have  been  re- 
garded as  unimportant,  the  Last  Supper,  which  was  a 
quasi-Passover,  a  new  and  Christian  Passover,  and 
one  in  which,  as  in  its  antitype,  memories  of  joy 
and  sorrow  were  strangely  blended,  got  to  be,  identi- 
fied, even  in  the  memory  of  the  Synoptists,  with  the 
Jewish  Passover,  and  that  St.  John,  silently  but  de- 
liberately, corrected  this  erroneous  impression, 
which,  even  in  his  time,  had  come  to  be  generally 
prevalent." 
It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  Joseph  Smith  had  access 


And  Their  Fulfillment  163 

to  these  authorities  on  bibliology.  An  analysis  of  the 
eighty-two  authorities  mentioned  by  Farrar  as  his  refer- 
ences and  authority  reveals  the  interesting  fact  that 
sixty-one  or  approximately  seventy-five  per  cent,  were 
published  between  the  years  1840  and  1870.  Only  12 
were  in  print  prior  to  1830,  and  nearly  all  of  these 
were  in  Greek,  Latin,  Hebrew,  German,  or  some  other 
foreign  tongue. 

Smith's  Dictionary  to  the  Bible,  a  standard  work,  was 
published  in  London,  1860.  The  list  of  contributors 
exceed  fifty  in  number.  They  were  either  professors  or 
clergymen,  of  the  highest  rank  in  both  classes.  In  his 
preface  reference  is  made  to  but  two  works  to  which 
frequent  recurrence  was  had  in  the  compilation  of  the 
work.  These  are:  "Dr.  Robinson's  Biblical  Researches," 
London,  1856,  and  Professor  Stanley's  "Sinai  and  Pal- 
estine," London,  1857.  This  observation  also  appears  in 
the  preface: 

"Within  the  last  few  years,  Biblical  studies  have 
received  a  fresh  impulse;  and  the  researches  of  mod- 
ern scholars,  as  well  as  the  discoveries  of  modern 
travelers,  have  thrown  new  and  unexpected  light  up- 
on the  history  and  geography  of  the  East.  .  .  . 

"No  other  dictionary  has  yet  attempted  to  give  a 
complete  list  of  the  proper  names  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testament,  to  say  nothing  of  the  Apocrapha." 

So  that  Joseph  Smith,  in  all  probability  did  not  have 
access  to  anything  beyond  the  most  meagre  biblical  com- 
mentaries, up  to  the  time  at  which  he  made  these  im- 
portant declarations  concerning  the  birth  and  crucifixion 
of  the  Lord. 

The  more  modern  school  of  bibliology  has  come  to 
some  rather  striking  conclusions  in  regard  to  the  date 


164  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

of  the  crucifixion.  These,  incidentally,  confirm  all  that 
Joseph  Smith  said,  or  even  suggested,  with  regard  to  the 
date  of  the  death  of  the  Lord.  We  deem  these  contribu- 
tions to  the  subject  of  such  value  that  we  introduce  them 
verbatim.  They  were  taken  from  the  Literary  Digest 
of  May  16,  1903,  Vol.  26,  No.  20.  (Translated  spe- 
cially for  that  journal.) 

"THE  DATE  OF  CHRIST'S  CRUCIFIXION. 

"The  day  of  the  month  in  which  Jesus  was  cru- 
cified has  for  decades  been  a  vexed  problem  in  New 
Testament  research,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  the  Synoptic  Gospels  and  the  Gospel  of  St.  John 
seem  not  to  agree  on  this  point.  An  entirely  new 
effort  to  solve  this  matter  has  been  made  by  Pro- 
fessor Hans  Archelis,  of  the  University  of  Konigs- 
berg,  and  the  result  is  published  in  the  Nachrichten 
No.  5  of  the  Gottengen  Academy  of  Sciences.  The 
novelty  of  the  effort  lies  in  this,  that  Professor 
Achelis  tries  to  figure  out  the  date  astronomically, 
and  reaches  the  conclusion  that  it  was  Friday,  April 
6th,  A.  D.  30.  His  process  is  as  follows:  Jesus  was 
crucified  on  a  Friday  according  to  Matt.  27:62;  28:1; 
Mark  15:42;  Luke  23:54;  John  19:31.  According 
to  John,  he  was  crucified  on  the  14th  of  Nisan;  ac- 
cording to  the  other  evangelists,  on  the  15th  of 
Nisan.  The  year  is  not  mentioned. 

"Pilate  was  governor  between  26  and  36,  and  at 
Easter  of  the  latter  year  had  been  deposed.  In  the 
year  26,  the  14th  of  Nisan  fell  on  Saturday;  in  the 
year  27,  on  Wednesday;  in  28,  on  Monday;  in  29, 
on  Sunday;  in  30,  on  Friday,  April  6th;  in  31,  Tues- 
day; in  32,  on  Monday;  in  33,  on  Friday;  April  3rd; 
in  34,  on  Tuesday;  in  35,  on  Monday. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  165 

"During  all  these  years  the  15th  never  fell  on  Fri- 
day. From  these  facts  two  conclusions  can  be  drawn : 
one,  that  John  and  not  the  Synoptics  has  the  right 
date,  and  Jesus  could  not  have  been  crucified  on  the 
15th  of  Nisan;  second,  that  we  must  conclude  be- 
tween April  6th,  A.  D.  30,  and  April  3rd,  A.  D.  33. 

"To  decide  between  these  two,  we  must  appeal  to 
other  data  taken  from  Luke  and  John. 

"Christ  began  his  public  ministry,  according  to 
Luke,  in  immediate  connection  with  the  activity  of 
John  the  Baptist,  and  the  latter  began  (1)  in  the 
fifteenth  year  of  Tiberius;  (2)  at  the  time  when 
Pontius  Pilate  was  ruler  in  Judea;  (3)  when  Herod 
was  tetrarch  in  Galilee;  (4)  when  Herod's  brother 
Philip  was  tetrarch  in  Itureah,  etc.  (5)  when  Lysan- 
ias  was  tetrarch  in  Abelene;  and  (6)  when  Annas 
and  Caiaphas  were  high  priests.  These  data  fix  the 
time  between  August  19th  A.  D.,  28  and  Aug.  18  A. 
D,  29. 

"According  to  John  2:20,  the  Jews  said  to  Christ, 
when  he  entered  upon  his  ministry,  that  the  temple 
had  been  in  process  of  erection  46  years.  This  brings 
us  to  the  year  27-28.  Since  Christ,  according  to  Luke, 
was  engaged  in  his  ministry  for  one  year — accord- 
ing to  John,  two  or  three  years — both  writers  have 
taken  the  year  30  as  the  year  of  his  death.  Accord- 
ingly we  can  with  good  reason  regard  Friday,  April 
6th  A.  D.  30,  as  the  date  of  the  crucifixion. 

This  computation  has,  however,  not  been  satisfac- 
tory to  all,  and  a  critic  in  the  Christliche  Welt  (No. 
14)  tries  to  show  that  it  is  unreliable  in  method,  al- 
though correct  in  result.  He  says: 

"The  Jewish  month  is  not  a  fixed  date  like  the  Ro- 
man month.  It  went  from  new  moon  to  new  moon; 


166  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

or,  better,  from  the  time  when  the  new  moon  became 
visible  to  the  next  time  this  occurred.  It  is  accord- 
ingly only  27  or  28  days  long  and  twelve  months  is 
accordingly  not  a  solar  year,  but  only  354  days.  Ac- 
cordingly, at  least,  once  every  three  years,  the  Jews 
had  to  add  an  intercalary  month.  The  Jewish  year 
began  in  the  spring,  with  the  month  of  Nisan.  If 
the  month  begins  with  the  new  moon,  then  the  full 
moon  falls  on  the  14th-15th.  The  month  of  Nisan 
as  the  first  spring  month,  was  so  arranged  that  its 
full  moon  fell  after  the  vernal  equinox.  In  this  way 
the  beginning  of  the  years  were  determined  with  rea- 
sonable certainty.  But  there  are  two  ways  of  determin- 
ing the  1st  Nisan,  and  we  no  longer  know  which  of 
these  ways  the  Jewish  almanac-makers  observed.  Did 
they  adopt  the  most  reliable  way,  namely,  of  count- 
ing backward  from  the  full  moon  to  the  first?  This 
is  probably  the  case;  but,  if  so,  then  they  were  at 
times  compelled,  as  is  seen  by  a  glance  at  our  own 
calendar,  to  begin  the  first  of  Nisan  before  the  new 
moon  had  really  become  visible.  But  if  they  fol- 
lowed the  more  uncertain  way,  namely,  not  to  de- 
clare the  first  of  Nisan  until  they  had  really  seen 
the  new  moon,  then  the  dates  of  the  month  could  also 
have  been  changed.  Much  of  this  calculation  there- 
fore, is  uncertain,  since  in  the  case  of  cloudy  weather 
the  new  moon  would  be  seen  later  than  in  clear. 
Nevertheless  a  careful  comparison  of  these  calcula- 
tions with  the  two  chronological  data  concerning  the 
beginning  of  Christ's  ministry  leads  to  the  conclusion 
that  Christ's  death  occurred  on  Friday,  April  6th,  A. 
D.  30." 

Our  judgment  warns  us  against  an  attempt  at  a  too  ac- 
curate determination  of  these  technical  questions.     The 


And  Their  Fulfillment  167 

deviations  in  calendars,  the  lapse  of  near  twenty  cen- 
turies, and  the  failure  of  ancient  historians  in  the  mat- 
ter of  preserving  for  us  the  actual  dates  of  these  two 
most  important  events  lead  us  to  the  view  that  nothing 
short  of  a  divine  revelation  could  give  dependable  in- 
formation on  the  subject.  The  Latter-day  Saints  have 
not  been  without  this  source  of  information.  They  not 
only  have  the  word  of  God  with  respect  to  the  date 
of  the  birth  of  the  Lord,  but  they  have  received  through 
revelation  a  translation  of  an  ancient  American  record 
of  the  events  connected  with  the  birth  and  crucifixion 
of  the  Savior.  This  record  is  known  as  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  and  was  cotemporaneous  with  the  life  of  the 
Savior  on  earth.  This  Book  of  Mormon  chronolgy  af- 
fords interesting  opportunity  for  comparison  with 
Oriental  chronology.  In  its  simple  record  of  events  it 
puts  itself  on  record  in  such  a  way  as  to  subject  its 
narratives  and  chronological  events  to  a  merciless  ex- 
posure in  the  event  of  errors  or  falsities.  Herein  are 
some  interesting  facts  which  go  far  to  prove  the  trust- 
worthiress  of  the  record  and  the  innocerce  and  divine 
irspiration  of  its  translator,  Joseph  Smith.  Inasmuch 
as  the  evidence  we  have  to  submit  deals  with  the  two 
dates  in  the  same  articles  we  have  treated  them  together 
for  the  sake  of  convenience. 

We  here  introduce  an  editorial  written  by  Orson  Pratt 
for  the  Millennial  Star  and  published  in  that  periodical 
in  1866.  (See  Vol.  28,  pp.  808-11.) 

"TRUE  CHRISTMAS  AND  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY. 

"Christmas,  the  25th  of  December,  will  open  upon 
us,  on  Tuesday  next.  This  is  a  great  day  among 
Christian  nations.  But  what  peculiar  influence  has 


168  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

been  imparted  to  this  day  that  it  should  occupy  so 
conspicuous  a  prominence,  above  other  days?  Was 
man  created  on  Christmas?  Did  Noah  enter  the 
ark  on  Christmas?  Or  what  great  event  has  trans- 
pired to  make  Christmas  so  memorable?  Listen, 
and  I  will  inform  you.  In  the  sixth  century  of  our 
era,  there  lived  a  Romish  Monk,  by  the  name  of 
Dionysius  Exiguus;  he  imagined  that  Christ  was 
born  on  the  25th  of  December.  This  conjecture, 
without  any  substantial  proof,  was  received  by  the 
Romish  Church,  and  handed  down,  like  many  other 
traditions,  to  the  present  day.  Learned  chronolo- 
gists  are  now  fully  convinced,  that  this  monk  con- 
ceived the  idea,  and  palmed  the  fabrication  upon 
the  world,  entirely  unsupported  by  evidence.  .  . 

"Chronologists  have  no  certain  date  on  which  to 
ground  a  calculation,  fixing  the  birthday  of  our  Re- 
deemer. Wieseler,  from  approximative  data,  sup- 
poses it  to  have  been  about  the  10th  of  January. 
Greswell,  from  similar  data,  believes  it  to  have  been 
the  5th  of  April.  (See  Smith's  Die.,  Vol.  1,  p.  1074.) 

"The  day  of  the  crucifixion  is  not  so  uncertain. 
Some  chronologists  assert  that  it  transpired  in 
March;  (See  Arago's  Astronomy,  Vol.  II,  p.  722) 
but  the  great  majority  maintain  that  it  took  place  on 
the  day  of  the  Passover,  as  described  by  St.  John 
the  Evangelist,  which  is  said  to  have  occurred  on 
Friday,  the  6th  of  April,  corresponding  to  the  14th 
of  the  old  Jewish  month  Abib,  now  called  Nisan. 
(Smith's  Diet,  Vol.  2,  p.  719.) 

"The  year  of  the  Christian  era  is  also  a  matter  of 
dispute  among  chronologists.  The  Romisk  monk, 
Dionysius,  in  the  sixth  century  after  Christ,  was  the 
first  who  proposed  to  date  events  ard  years  from 


And  Their  Fulfillment  169 

the  birth  of  Christ;  hence,  he  and  many  of  his  co- 
temporaries  conjectured,  from  insufficient  data,  that 
532  years  had  elapsed  from  his  birth;  but  the  sup- 
position, like  that  of  his  assumed  Christmas  proved, 
in  after  centuries,  to  be  incorrect,  and  that  the  birth 
of  the  Savior,  was  several  years  earlier,  than  he  had 
erroneously  assigned.  But  an  alteration  in  the  era 
could  not  well  be  accomplished,  without  producing 
an  incalculable  amount  of  confusion,  among  dated 
documents  which  had  been  accumulating  for  centur- 
ies, before  the  error  of  Dionysius  was  clearly  de- 
tected therefore,  the  epithet  'Vulgar'  was  attached 
to  our  present  era,  to  show  that  it  is  not  reliable. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  term  incorrect  era  was 
not  chosen,  instead  of  'vulgar  era,'  for  the  unedu- 
cated persons  would  have,  at  once,  known  the  real 
meaning  of  the  adjective  used;  but  as  it  is,  there 
are  but  comparatively  few  who  understand  that  the 
year,  for  instance,  A.  D.  1866,  is  an  erroneous  date, 
several  years  less  than  the  true  era. 

"To  show  the  discrepancies  among  chronoligists, 
we  will  give  several  examples,  in  relation  of  the 
year  of  the  birth  of  Christ. 

"Birth  of  Christ.  Chronolo gists. 

"B.  C.  1  yr.  Pearson  and  Hug. 

"B.  C.  2  yr.  Scaliger. 

"B.  C.  3  yr.  Baron  ius,  Calvisius,  Suskind 

&  Paulus. 
"B.  C.  5  yr.  Lamy,  Bengel,  Anger,  Wiese- 

ler,  and  Greswell. 
"B.  C.  7  yr.  Ideler  and  Sanclemente. 

"If  Christ  was  born  3  years  earlier  than  the  vul- 
gar era  of  Dionysius,  as  calculated  by  Baronius.   Cal- 


170  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

visius,  Suskind,  and  Paulus,  then  our  present  year, 
A.  D.  1866,  should  in  reality  be  A.  D.  1869.  There 
is  certainly  much  substantial  evidence  to  prove  that 
the  vulgar  era,  now  in  common  use,  is  3  years  too 
little. 

The  exact  age  of  Christ,  at  the  time  of  the  Cruci- 
fixion, is  furnished  us  in  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The 
Nephite  prophets  had  foretold  that  the  night  preced- 
ing the  day  on  which  Jesus  should  be  born  should 
be  without  any  darkness.  Accordingly,  when 
this  great  sign  was  given,  the  following  day, 
which  was  the  birthday  of  Christ,  was  chosen  as 
the  first  day,  of  the  first  month,  of  the  first  year 
of  their  civil  era.  But  the  precise  hour  of  the  day  on 
which  Jesus  was  born  is  not  given;  but  it  is  certain 
from  the  Nephite  record,  that  he  was  born  after  six 
o'clock  in  the  morn  inn.  which  was  the  "tomorrow" 
referred  to  in  the  Lord's  declaration  to  \ephi,  on 
page  433.  And.  therefore,  his  birth  mils'  have  been 
after  1  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  by  the  time  at  Jeru- 
salem, which  is  seven  and  one  half  hours  later  than 
the  Nephite  time,  owing  to  the  difference  of  the  longi- 
tude of  the  two  locations.  (See  Book  of  Mormon,  pp. 
426,  432,  433,  434.)*  It  was  also  foretold  by  their 
prophets  that,  durirp:  the  time  of  the  crucifixion  the 
whole  of  that  continent  should  be  terribly  convulsed 
by  earthquakes  in  which  the  rocks  should  be  rent, 
many  mountains  be  thrown  down,  many  level  places 
be  broken  up,  many  cities  destroyed,  etc.,  and  immedi- 
ately three  days  and  three  nights  of  darkness  should 
succeed.  All  this  transpired,  as  ii  was  predicted; 
and  the  exact  date  of  the  three  hours  of  earthquakes 
was  given,  namely  'in  the  thirty  and  fourth  year,  in 
the  first  month,  and  in  the  fourth  day  of  the  month.' 


*  Earlier  editions. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  171 

Thus  we  perceive  that  33  full  years  had  passed  away, 
and  also  3  full  days  of  the  34th  year,  and  the  fourth 
day  had  commenced  when  he  expired  upon  the  cross. 
(See  p.  450).  A  Jewish  day  commenced  at  6  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  The  crucifixion  at  Jerusalem  com- 
menced at  noon,  and  ended  3  hours  after.  With  the 
Nephites  just  southeast  of  the  Isthmus,  this  great 
event  would  be  seven  and  one  half  hours  earlier  than 
at  Jerusalem,  owing  to  their  being  seven  and  one- 
half  hours  west  longitude  from  that  city.  With  the 
Nephites  it  would  be  half  past  seven  in  the  morning, 
when  the  three  hours  of  earthquakes  subsided  and 
when  the  darkness  commenced,  and  therefore  the 
death  of  Jesus  must  have  been  one  hour  and  one  half 
after  the  commencement  of  the  fourth  day  of  his 
34th  year.  The  three  days  and  three  nights  of  dark- 
ness began  at  7  1/2  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  must 
have  ended  at  the  same  time  in  the  morning.  On  the 
454th  page,  it  reads,  'Thus  did  the  three  days  pass 
away;  and  it  ivas  in  the  morning  and  the  darkness 
dispersed  from  off  the  face  of  the  land,  and  the  earth 
did  cease  to  tremble,  and  the  rocks  did  cease  to 
rend,'  etc. 

"This  proves  that  it  was  morning  with  the  Nephites, 
when  Jesus  expired,  and  while  it  was  3  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  at  Jerusalem.  These  dates,  incidentally 
given  in  connection  with  the  remarkable  events  of 
the  Nephite  history,  prove,  beyond  all  controversy 
the  exact  difference  of  time,  owing  to  the  difference 
of  longitude  of  the  two  countries  which  should  sub- 
sist and  yet  the  inspired  translator,  Joseph  Smith, 
died  without  even  noticing  this  remarkable  revelation 
of  the  difference  of  dates.  For  further  particulars 
on  this  subject,  our  readers  are  referred  to  an  arti- 


172  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

cle,  entitled  Divinity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  pub- 
lished in  No.  24  of  the  present  volume  of  the  Star. 

"The  civil  year  of  the  Nephites  was  undoubtedly  of 
the  same  length  as  that  of  the  Egyptians,  namely,  365 
days.  The  Mexican  Lamanites,  when  America  was 
first  discovered,  counted  365  days  to  the  year;  and 
at  the  end  of  every  52  years,  they  added  13  inter- 
calary days.  (See  Lord  Kingsborough's  Mexican  An- 
tiquities.') The  Nephite  calendar  was  probably  regu- 
lated in  the  same  way,  being  an  improvement  upon 
the  Egyptian  vague  year,  and  maintaining  the  months 
and  seasons  in  a  permanent  relation  to  each  other, 
with  but  slight  fluctuations. 

"As  the  intercalary  days  were  not  added  until  the 
end  of  52  years,  it  is  very  certain  that  the  first  33 
Nephite  years  after  Christ  were  each  precisely  365 
days,  equal  to  12,045  days  to  which  add  the  3  days 
of  the  34th  year,  and  we  have  12,048  days,  as  the 
age  of  the  Savior,  when  crucified.  This  is  equal  to 
1,721  weeks  and  1  day,  and  also  equal  to  32  years 
and  360  days,  acording  to  our  present  method  of 
reckoning  365  1/4  days  to  a  year. 

"We  have  already  brought  the  testimony  of  chron- 
ologists  to  prove  that  he  was  crucified  on  Friday, 
the  6th  of  April.  Deduct  32  of  our  years  and  360 
days  from  the  period  of  the  crucifixion,  and  we  have 
April  llth  for  the  exact  day  of  birth.  Also,  if  we 
deduct  1,721  weeks  and  1  day  from  the  time  of  the 
crucifixion,  we  find  that  the  llth  day  of  April  or  the 
first  birthday  of  Christ,  was  on  Friday.  If  he  had 
lived  to  be  33  years  of  age,  according  to  our  reck- 
oning, that  is,  including  the  8  intercalary  days,  (one 
day  of  which  being  added  every  4  years)  the  anni- 
versary of  his  birthday  would  have  fallen  on  Wed- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  173 

nesday;  but  he  was  crucified  5  days  before  this,  or 
on  the  preceding  Friday,  which,  as  already  observed 
was  on  the  6th  of  April. 

"From  the  above  data,  we  have  arrived  at  the  cer- 
tain conclusions  that  our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus 
Christ,  was  born  on  Friday  after  mid-day,  Jerusa- 
lem local  time),  April  llth,  which  is  the  true  Christ- 
mas and  New  Year's  Day.  Therefore,  the  llth  day  of 
April  next  will  be  our  true  Christmas  and  New  Year's 
day  for  the  true  era  of  our  Lord,  1870. 

"The  set  time  that  Christ,  by  New  Revelation,  or- 
ganized his  Latter-day  Kingdom,  was  on  the  6th  of 
April  A.  D.,  1833,  Dionysius'  vulgar  era,  which  is 
the  same  as  the  6th  of  April,  A.  D.  1833,  True  Chris- 
tian Era.  This  stupendous  event,  so  long  predicted 
by  the  prophets  took  place  precisely  1,800  years  to 
the  very  day,  from  his  crucifixion." 

An  article  written  by  Orson  Pratt  and  published  in  the 
Millennial  Star,  June  16,  1866,  on  the  hour  of  the  cru- 
cifixion is  of  sufficient  interest  to  warrant  its  reprint 
in  connection  with  this  discussion: 

"DIVINITY  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

"The  divine  authenticity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
has  been  confirmed  to  this  generation  by  a  multi- 
plicity of  evidences.  It  is  not  our  intention,  in  this 
article,  to  examine  this  evidence  in  detail,  but  to 
merely  set  forth  a  kind  of  proof,  which,  I  believe, 
has  never  been  referred  to,  by  any  former  writers. 
This  evidence  is  derived  from  certain  great  events 
mentioned  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which  happened 
on  the  Western  Continent,  at  the  precise  time  of  the 
crucifixion  of  Christ,  and  during  the  three  days  in 


174  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

which  his  body  slept  in  the  tomb.  The  following 
is  the  description  of  these  events: 

'  'And  now  it  came  to  pass  occording  to  our  record, 
and  we  know  our  record  to  be  true,  for  behold,  it 
was  a  just  man  who  did  keep  the  record;  for  he  truly 
did  many  miracles  in  the  name  of  Jesus;  and  there 
was  not  any  man  who  could  do  a  miracle  in  the  name 
of  Jesus,  save  he  were  cleansed  every  whit  from  his 
iniquity.  And  now  it  came  to  pass,  if  there  was  no 
mistake  made  by  this  man  in  the  reckoning  of  our 
time,  the  thirty  and  third  year  had  passed  away,  and 
the  people  began  to  look  with  great  earnestness  for 
the  sign  which  had  been  given  by  the  Prophet  Sam- 
uel, the  Lamanite;  yea,  for  the  time  that  there  should 
be  darkness  for  the  >paee  of  three  days  over  the  face 
of  the  land.  And  there  began  to  be  great  doublings 
and  disputations  among  tin-  people,  notwithstanding 
so  many  signs  had  been  giv< 

''  '2.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  thirty  and  fourth 
year,  in  the  first  nio:.th.  i:i  the  fourth  day  of  the 
month,  there  arose  a  great  storm,  such  an  one  as 
never  had  been  known  in  all  the  land;  and  there  was 
also  a  great  and  terrible  tempest,  and  there  was  terri- 
ble thunder,  insomuch  that  it  did  shake  the  whole 
earth  as  if  it  was  about  to  divide  assunder;  and  there 
were  exceeding  j-harp  lightings,  such  i«s  never  had 
been  known  in  all  the  land.  And  the  city  of  Zara- 
hemla  did  take  fire;  and  the  city  of  Moroni  did  sink 
in  the  depths  of  the  sea,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof 
were  drowned;  and  the  earth  was  carried  up  upon 
the  city  of  Moronihah,  that  in  the  place  of  the  city 
thereof,  there  became  a  great  mountain;  and  there 
was  great  and  terrible  destruction  in  the  land  south- 
ward. But,  behold,  there  was  more  great  and  terri- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  175 

ble  destruction  in  the  land  northward;  for  behold, 
the  whole  face  of  the  land  was  changed,  because  of 
the  tempest,  and  the  whirlwinds,  and  the  thunderings, 
and  the  lightnings,  and  the  exceeding  great  quaking 
of  the  whole  earth;  and  the  highways  were  broken 
up,  and  the  level  roads  were  spoiled,  and  many 
smooth  places  became  rough,  and  many  great  and. 
notable  cities  were  sunk,  and  many  were  burned,  and 
many  were  shook  till  the  buildings  thereof  had  fallen 
to  the  earth,  and  the  inhabitants  were  slain,  and  the 
places  were  left  desolate;  and  there  were  some  cities 
which  remained;  but  the  damage  thereof  was  exceed- 
ing great,  and  there  were  many  in  them  who  were 
slain;  and  there  were  some  who  were  carried  away 
in  the  whirlwind,  no  man  knoweth,  save  they  know 
that  they  were  carried  away;  and  thus  the  face  of 
the  whole  earth  became  deformed,  because  of  the 
tempests,  and  the  thunderings,  and  the  lightnings, 
and  the  quaking  of  the  earth.  And  behold,  the  rocks 
were  rent  in  twain;  they  were  broken  up  upon  the 
face  of  the  whole  earth,  insomuch  that  they  were 
found  in  broken  fragments,  and  in  seams  and  in 
cracks,  upon  all  the  face  of  the  land. 

14  C3.  And  it  came  to  pass  when  the  thunderings,  and 
the  lightnings,  and  the  storm,  and  the  tempest,  and 
the  quakings  of  the  earth  did  cease — for  behold, 
they  did  last  for  about  the  space  of  three  hours; 
and  it  was  said  by  some  that  the  time  was  greater; 
nevertheless,  all  these  great  and  terrible  things  were 
done  in  about  the  space  of  three  hours;  and  then 
behold,  there  was  darkness  upon  the  face  of  the  land. 

"  '4.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  there  was  thick 
darkness  upon  all  the  face  of  the  land,  insomuch  that 
the  inhabitants  thereof  who  had  not  fallen  could  feel 


176  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

the  vapor  of  darkness;  and  there  could  be  no  light, 
because  of  the  darkness,  neither  candles,  neither 
torches;  neither  could  there  be  fire  kindled  with  their 
fine  and  exceeding  dry  wood,  so  that  there  could 
not  be  any  light  at  all;  and  there  was  not  any  light 
seen,  neither  fire,  nor  glimmer,  neither  the  sun,  nor 
the  moon,  nor  the  stars,  for  so  great  were  the  mists  of 
darkness  which  were  upon  the  face  of  the  land. 

'  '5.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  it  did  last  for  the 
space  of  three  days,  that  there  was  no  light  seen, 
and  there  was  great  mourning  and  howling,  and 
weeping  among  all  the  people  continually;  yea,  great 
were  the  groanings  of  the  people,  because  of  the 
darkness  and  the  great  destruction  which  had  come 
upon  them." 

"Nephi  in  the  former  part  of  this  book  informs  us 
that  the  night  before  Jesus  was  born  was  as  light  as 
mid-day;  this  being  a  sign  given  to  the  ancient  Is- 
realites  of  America,  that  they  might  know  the  pre- 
cise time  of  his  birth.  Nephi  also  informs  us,  that 
they  commenced  reckoning  their  time  from  this  great 
event.  Therefore,  according  to  the  above  extract, 
Jesus  must  have  been  thirty-three  years  and  four 
days  old  when  he  was  crucified.  It  appears  that 
thick  darkness  did  not  come  over  the  land,  during  the 
three  hours  that  Jesus  was  on  the  cross,  but  followed 
immediately  afterwards,  and  lasted  three  days.  In  the 
eleventh  paragraph,  in  reference  to  the  three  days 
of  darknss,  Nephi  says,  'thus  did  the  three  days  pass 
away,  and  it  was  in  the  morning,  and  the  darkness 
dispersed  from  off  the  face  of  the  land,  and  the  earth 
did  cease  to  tremble,  and  the  rocks  did  cease  to  rend,' 
etc.  From  this  short  extract  we  have  a  clue  to  the 
time  of  the  day  when  the  darkness  commenced;  for 


And  Their  Fulfillment  177 

as  it  ended  in  the  morning,  it  must  also  have  begun 
in  the  morning;  and  therefore  the  three  hours  of  the 
crucifixion,  which  preceded  the  darkness  must  also 
have  ended  in  the  morning;  that  is,  it  was  morning 
in  that  particular  part  of  America  where  Nephi  was 
writing.  And  we  have  the  strongest  reasons  for  be- 
lieving that  he  at  that  time,  resided  in  the  north- 
western portions  of  South  America,  near  a  temple 
which  they  had  built  in  the  land  Bountiful,  which 
the  record  informs  us  was  not  far  south  of  the  nar- 
row neck  of  land,  connecting  the  land  south  with  the 
land  north;  but  which  we,  in  these  days,  call  the 
Isthmus  of  Darien  [now  Panama].  Nephi,  the  his- 
torian, and  prophet  of  God,  was  present  with  the  mul- 
titude who  had  gathered  around  this  temple,  at  the 
time  that  Jesus  descended  from  heaven  among  them, 
which  was  only  a  few  months  [days — N.  L.  M.] 
after  the  crucifixion;  hence,  there  is  the  strongest 
probability  that  he  dwelt  on  that  part  of  the  conti- 
nent when  he  wrote. 

"The  four  evangelists,  in  the  New  Testament,  have 
plainly  told  us,  what  time  of  day  it  was  in  Jerusalem, 
during  which  the  Savior  was  on  the  cross;  they  all 
agree  it  was  'from  the  sixth  to  the  ninth  hour.'  Their 
time  was  kept  according  to  Jewish  reckoning,  the  sixth 
hour  with  them,  is  the  same  as  mid-day  or  noon; 
and  the  ninth  hour  was  the  third  hour  after  noon 
which  corresponds  to  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
according  to  English  time.  This  was  the  time  of  day 
at  Jerusalem  when  Christ  was  taken  down  from  the 
cross.  But  the  Book  of  Mormon  states,  as  we  have 
already  quoted,  that  on  the  western  continent  'it  was 
in  the  morning.'  To  one  unlearned,  these  statements 
will  appear  contradictory;  but  every  well  informed 

13 


178  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

person  can  see,  at  once,  that  the  difference  of  longi- 
tude would  produce  a  difference  of  time. 

"The  northwestern  part  of  South  America  is  about 
one  hundred  and  twelve  degrees  west  of  Jerusalem, 
which  is  equivalent  to  about  seven  and  one  half  hours 
of  time.  This  subtracted  from  the  time  at  Jerusa- 
lem, will  show  that  the  crucifixion  ended  by  Ameri- 
can time,  in  the  morning,  between  one  and  two  hours 
after  sunrise;  or  according  to  our  reckoning,  about 
7  hours  30  minutes  in  the  morning. 

"As  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  never  referred  to 
this,  it  is  evident  that  the  difference  of  time  alluded 
to  resulting  from  the  difference  of  longitude,  never 
entered  his  mind;  and  that  he,  by  the  inspiration  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  translated  the  item  'and  it  was  morn- 
ing9 without  fully  comprehending,  why  it  should  be 
in  the  morning  rather  than  in  the  afternoon,  accord- 
ing to  the  New  Testament.  Indeed,  it  is  quite  evi- 
dent that  this  young  man,  unlearned  as  he  was,  had 
never  been  instructed  in  regard  to  longitude,  and  the 
effect  it  has  on  time,  and  was,  therefore,  quite  in- 
capable of  designedly  introducing  the  correct  Ameri- 
can time  for  the  sake  of  deception.  When  this  im- 
portant truth  is  pointed  out  and  clearly  explained, 
it  is  easy  enough  for  all  people,  whether  enemies  or 
friends,  to  perceive;  but  before  attention  w#s  called 
to  the  matter,  who  thought  of  it?  If  it  was  a  matter 
that  the  learned  when  reading  the  Book  of  Mormon 
did  not,  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  dis- 
cover, how  then  can  it,  for  one  moment,  be  supposed 
that  an  unlearned  youth  could  think  of  a  fact,  ap- 
parently so  foreign,  and  only  incidentally  mentioned 
with  other  subjects,  and  for  the  sake  of  deception 
designedly  incorporate  it  in  the  volume?  No  candid 


And  Their  Fulfillment  179 

person  could  come  to  any  such  absurd  conclusion. 
There  never  was  a  revelation  given  to  man,  sub- 
stantiated with  a  greater  amount  of  evidence,  than 
what  accompanies  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Evidences 
both  external  and  internal,  are  continually  accumu- 
lating, and  have  already  become  innumerable.  These 
evidences  will  continue  to  increase,  until  the  Lord, 
himself,  shall  be  revealed  in  all  the  fulness  of  his 
glory  and  power;  this  will  be  a  revelation  which  the 
wicked  cannot  abide,  but  must  perish  as  the  dry  stub- 
ble, before  the  devouring  flame." 


180  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 


Two  Expulsions  from  Jackson  County, 
Missouri1 

BY  JUMUS  F.  WELLS. 

It  was  in  November,  1833,  when  the  mobocracy  of 
Jackson  County,  Mo.,  culminated  in  the  expulsion  of  the 
Latter-day  Saints  from  their  homes  in  that  county. 
Scenes  of  utmost  cruelty  and  inhumanity  had  marked 
the  treatment  of  the  Saints  by  the  old-time  residents  and 
their  associates  of  the  border  ruffian  order,  from  the 
time  that  the  thrift  of  the  "Mormon"  people  began  to 
convert  the  country  into  beautiful  homes  and  well- 
stocked  and  cultivated  farms.  It  was  the  avarice  of  cun- 
ning scoundrels,  the  envy  of  thriftless  farmers,  and  the 
jealousy  of  poorly  paid  but  hireling  ministers  of  other 
faiths,  combined  with  the  demagoguery  of  run-down  poli- 
ticians, which  formed  the  combination  of  thieving  rob- 
bers and  mobocrats  bent  on  despoiling  the  Saints  and 
stealing  their  property.  This  combination  became  suc- 
cessful when  the  power  and  authority  of  the  state  and 
local  governments  were  at  length  perverted  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  its  devilish  purposes. 


1This  interesting  narrative  is  reprinted  from  the  Improvement 
Era,  Vol.  VI,  p.  1,  1902.  Its  unquestioned  integrity  and  the  \\fll- 
established  authenticity  of  the  prophecy  it  contains,  together  with 
the  fulfillment  thereof  seem  to  justify  its  being  placed  along  with 
the  group  of  prophecies  herein  considered. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  181 

The  people  were  literally  driven  from  their  homes, 
wives  and  chidren  separated  from  their  husbands  and 
fathers,  their  homes  broken  into  and  often  burned.  Legal 
remedies,  taken  at  the  instance  of  the  governor  (in  which 
the  name  of  Doniphan  first  appears  as  one  of  the  attor- 
neys employed  by  the  Saints)  were  rendered  abortive  by 
the  double-dealing  rascality  of  official  associates,  with 
Lieuten ant-Governor  Boggs  at  their  head.  The  warfare 
was  relentless,  and  the  forced  evacuation,  without  re- 
course or  remedy,  of  the  whole  "Mormon"  people  was 
complete.  They  fled  in  peril  of  their  lives,  sacrificing 
homes  and  lands,  and  all  their  possessions,  into  the  ad- 
joining counties. 

They  were  welcomed  and  treated  kindly  for  a  time 
in  Clay  County,  where  they  remained  until  1836.  Then, 
for  the  sake  of  peace,  and,  it  was  claimed  to  prevent  civil 
war  among  their  neighbors,  and  the  possible  re-enact- 
ment  of  the  reign  of  terror  that  had  been  experienced  in 
Jackson  County,  they  removed  westward  and  located  in 
Caladwell  County,  where  they  built  up  the  town  of 
Far  West.  They  were  prosp-rtd  here,  and  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Daviess  and  Carroll,  until  fall  of  1838. 

By  this  time,  the  spirit  of  relentless  hatred  of  the 
mobocratic  classes  that  had  prevailed  against  the  Saints 
in  Jackson  and  Clay  counties  had  worked  upon  the  preju- 
dices of  all  neighboring  non-"Mormon"  communities  and 
had  so  dominated  the  officials  of  the  state  that  the  lives 
and  liberties  of  the  "Mormon"  leaders  and  people  were 
in  constant  jeopardy  from  attacks  made  upon  them  by 
lawless  bands  of  renegades  and  ruffians,  with  whom  were 
associated  others  having  claims  to  respectability,  but 
whose  ignorance  and  prejudice  made  diem  little  less 
dangerous. 

The  state  militia  was  called  out  to  quell  the  mob.  It 
was  commanded,  in  part,  by  men  notoriously  anti- 
"Mormon,"  but  there  were  some  exceptions.  In  partic- 


182  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

ular  is  the  name  of  Colonel  A.  W.  Doniphan  held  in 
honored  remembrance.  He  was  in  command  of  about 
five  hundred  men  from  Clay  County,  who  had  been  or- 
dered by  the  governor  to  operate  with  the  commands 
under  Generals  Clark,  Lucas,  and  Wilson,  ostensibly  for 
the  purpose  of  protecting  the  peaceable  citizens,  and  dis- 
pelling the  mob;  really  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out 
\he  infamous  order  of  extermination,  which  the  governor 
had  already  issued  to  General  Clark,  and  in  which  he  had 
used  the  words:  "The  Mormons  must  be  treated  as  pub- 
lic enemies,  and  must  be  exterminated  or  driven  from 
the  state." 

These  troops,  numbering  over  two  thousand,  ap- 
proached Far  West,  and  demanded  the  capitulation  of 
the  town  upon  the  following  terms: 

First — to  give  up  all  the  Church  leaders  !<>  l>e  tried 
and  punished. 

Second — To  make  an  appropriation  of  I  heir  property, 
all  who  have  taken  up  arms,  to  the  payment  of  the  debts, 
and  indemnity  for  damage  done  by  them. 

Third- — That  the  balance  should  leave  the  stale,  and  be 
protected  out  by  the  militia,  but  to  remain  until  further 
orders  were  received  from  the  commander-in-chief. 

Fourth — To  give  up  their  arms  of  every  description, 
to  be  receipted  for. 

Colonel  Hinkle,  in  command  of  the  "Mormon"  forces 
who  were  themselves  a  lawfully  organized  part  of  the 
state  militia,  betrayed  the  leaders  of  the  Church,  and,  by 
a  stratagem,  delivered  them  into  the  custody  of  General 
Lucas,  accepting  for  his  people  the  above  terms  of  sur- 
render, without  consulting  their  leaders;  and  practically 
condemning  the  latter  to  prison,  if  not  to  death,  and  their 
followers  to  the  confiscation  of  all  their  property,  and 
themselves  to  exile  from  the  state. 

In  briefly  narrating  these  events,  from  the  history  of 
the  Missouri  persecutions,  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  direct- 


And  Their  Fulfillment  183 

ing  attention  to  an  occasion  when  the  valorous  friendship 
of  General  Doniphan  was  fairly  put  to  the  test  and  his 
love  of  fair  play — of  the  principles  of  human  liberty 
upon  which  our  government  is  founded,  and  his  courage 
in  protesting  against  their  abuse,  were  conspicuously  dis- 
played. 

The  night  after  the  betrayal  by  Hinkle,  a  court-mar- 
tial was  held  consisting  of  some  fourteen  militia  officers, 
and  about  twenty  priests  of  the  different  denominations, 
besides  the  circuit  judge,  Austin  A.  King,  and  the  district 
attorney.  The  decision  of  this  anomalous  aggregation 
of  military,  spiritual  and  judicial  mobocrats,  called  a 
court-martial,  was  that  the  prisoners — Joseph  and  Hyrum 
Smith,  Lyman  Wight  and  some  six  or  eight  others,  who 
were  held  as  hostages  for  the  carrying  out  of  the  terms 
of  surrender  and  expulsion,  should  be  shot  and  the  fol- 
lowing morning  at  8  o'clock,  in  the  public  square  of  Far 
West,  as  an  example  to  the  "Mormon"  people. 

General  Wilson  had  made  an  effort  to  corrupt  Colonel 
Wight  of  the  "Mormon"  militia,  during  the  preceding 
day,  and  to  get  him  to  testify  something  against  Joseph 
Smith.  When  the  conclusion  of  the  court-martial  was 
reached,  he  took  Wight  aside  and  told  him  the  decision. 
"Shoot  and  be  damned,"  said  Wight.  About  this  time 
General  Doniphan  came  up,  and,  addressing  Wight,  said : 
"Colonel,  the  decision  is  a  damned  hard  ore,  but  I  wash 
my  hands  against  such  cold-blooded  murder."  He  fur- 
ther said  he  should  remove  his  troops  the  following  day, 
as  soon  as  light,  so  that  they  should  not  witness  this 
heartless  murder.  General  Graham  and  a  few  others  had 
voted  against  the  decision  of  the  court-martial,  but  it 
availed  nothing. 

This  bold  stand,  taken  by  General  Doniphan  the  next 
morning,  in  removing  his  troops  and  denouncing  the  exe- 
cution of  the  prisoners  as  cold-blooded  murder,  alarmed 
Lucas,  and  he  changed  his  mind  about  executing  the  de- 
cision of  the  court-martial.  In  fact,  he  revoked  the  de- 


184  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

cree,  and  placed  the  prisoners  in  charge  of  General  Wil- 
son, with  instructions  to  conduct  them  to  Independence. 
They  were  afterwards  taken  to  Richmond,  and  finally 
were  committed  to  Liberty  jail,  to  await  trial  on  a  charge 
of  treason.  It  was  during  these  proceedings  that  General 
Doniphan  acted  as  leading  counsel  for  the  prophet  and 
his  associates,  who  considered  that,  under  God,  he  had 
been  the  means  of  saving  their  lives,  after  they  had  been 
condemned  by  Lucas'  court-martial. 

It  was  during  this  incarceration  of  the  Prophet  that 
the  Saints  were  driven  out  of  the  state,  and  in  the  con- 
duct of  the  enforced  exodus,  that  President  Brigham 
Young  displayed  those  great  qualities  of  administrative 
ability,  which  afterwards  so  distinguished  him  as  the 
leader  of  the  "Mormon"  people. 

As  to  the  people  of  Jackson  County,  who  remained 
after  the  Saints  were  driven  out,  who  and  what  were 
they?  The  history  of  the  town  of  Independence,  and  its 
neighborhood,  is  the  best  answer.  Up  to  the  end  of  the 
Civil  war — a  generation  after  the  "Mormon"  expulsion 
— the  town  never  attained  the  population  nor  impor- 
tance which  the  "Mormons"  had  given  it,  and  the  county 
was  notorious  for  its  thriftlessness  and  i^verty,  though 
occupying  a  very  garden-spot  of  the  whole  earth.  It  was 
notorious  as  the  refuge  of  cattle  thieves  and  horse  thieves, 
the  home  of  unrest  and  discontent,  of  schism  and  dis- 
cord. No  spot  in  the  nation  was  so  torn  and  rent  over 
the  question  of  slavery.  In  no  place  was  the  bitterness 
of  the  controversy  for  and  against  the  Union  so  violent. 
Scarcely  a  family  was  united  upon  these  questions,  and, 
when  the  war  broke  out,  in  no  other  place  were  there  so 
many  families  broken  up,  fathers  fighting  against  sons, 
brothers  against  brothers.  There,  however,  never  came 
out  of  this  county  an  organized  force  of  good  repute  for 
either  side.  On  the  contrary,  its  people  contributed  a 
low-type  of  guerilla  and  renegade  warfare,  which  both 


And  Their  Fulfillment  185 

armies  despised;  and  which  finally  led  to  a  castigation 
and  punishment  that  fulfilled  the  words  of  a  prophecy, 
and  held  its  name  up  to  the  contempt  and  ridicule  of  the 
whole  world. 

This  came  about  in  1863,  when  General  Ewing  was  in 
command  of  the  military  district  in  which  Jackson 
County  was  located. 

The  practice  of  the  guerilla  bands  of  making  stealthy, 
assassin-like,  sudden  attacks  upon  the  Union  troops,  from 
ambush,  as  they  were  marching  from  point  to  point, 
and  then  disappearing,  became  so  intolerable  that  ex- 
treme measures  were  resolved  upon  to  stop  it.  These 
contemplated  the  destruction  of  the  base  of  supplies  of 
the  marauding  parties.  It  was  found  that  the  principal 
location  was  Jackson  County,  where  forage  for  their 
horses,  and  food  for  the  men,  and  change  of  animals  and 
equipment  were  being  secretly  furnished,  as  the  oppor- 
tunity and  need  of  the  renegade  parties  required.  Women 
and  children  even  were  frequently  discoverd  contributing 
to  the  sustenance  and  help  of  these  parties.  The  whole 
county  came  to  be  regarded  as  a  nest-bed  of  traitors  and 
spies,  a  refuge  for  assassins  and  robbers,  whose  murder- 
ous and  uncivilized  warfare  could  not  be  combatted  by  the 
ordinary  rules  and  practices  of  civilized  war,  and  that 
must  be  put  down  by  means  that  should  be  effective,  how- 
ever cruel  and  relentless.  This  determination  led  to  the 
issuance  of  the  celebrated  "General  order  No.  11,"  which 
has  been  more  widely  published  and  quoted,  because  of 
the  manner  and  thoroughness  of  its  execution,  than  al- 
most any  other  order  of  the  Civil  War.  It  is  also  cele- 
brated in  oratory,  and  art,  affording  the  theme  of  many 
a  campaign  and  historical  oration  from  the  lips  of  Mis- 
souri's greatest  public  speakers;  and  is  the  inspiration 
of  the  widely  celebrated  painting  of  Bingham,  her  great- 
set  painter. 


186  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

"GENERAL  ORDERS,  No.  11 

"Headquarters  District  of  the  Border, 

"Kansas  City,  Mo.,  August  25,  1863. 

"1.  All  persons  living  in  Jackson.  Cass  and  Bates  counties,  Mo., 
and  in  that  part  of  Vernon  included  in  this  district,  except  those 
livinir  within  one  mile  of  the  limits  of  Independence,  Hickman's 
Mills,  Pleasant  Hill  and  Harrisonville,  and  except  those  in  that 
part  of  Kaw  Township,  Jackson  County,  north  of  Brush  Creek  and 
west  of  the  Big  Blue,  are  hereby  ordered  to  remove  from  their 
present  places  of  residence  within  fiften  days  from  the  date 
hereof. 

"Those  who,  within  that  time,  establish  their  loyalty  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  the  commanding  officer  of  the  military  station  nearest 
their  present  places  of  residence,  will  receive  from  him  certificates 
stating  the  fact  of  their  loyalty  and  the  names  of  the  witnesss 
by  whom  it  can  be  shown.  All  who  receive  such  certificates  will 
be  permitted  to  remove  to  any  military  station  in  this  district,  or 
to  any  part  of  the  State  of  Kansas  except  the  counties  on  the 
ea-trm  border  of  the  State.  All  others  shall  remove  out  of  this 
district.  Officers  commanding  companies  and  detachments  serv- 
ini:  in  the  count ie-  named  will  see  that  this  paragraph  is  promptly 
obeyed. 

"2.  All  grain  and  hay.  in  the  field  or  under  shelter,  in  the 
district  from  which  the  inhabitants  are  required  to  remove,  within 
reach  of  military  .stations,  after  the  9th  day  of  September  next, 
will  he  taken  to  such  stations,  and  turned  over  to  the  proper  offi- 
cers there;  and  report  of  the  amounts  so  turned  over  made  to 
District  Headquarters,  specifying  the  names  of  all  loyal  owners 
and  the  amount  of  such  produce  taken  from  them.  All  grain  and 
hay  found  in  such  district  after  the  9th  day  of  September  next, 
not  convenient  to  such  stations,  will  be  destroyed. 

"3.  The  provisions  of  General  Orders  No.  10  from  these  Head- 
quarters will  be  at  once  vigorously  executed  by  officers  com- 
manding in  the  parts  of  the  districts,  and  at  the  stations,  not  sub- 
ject to  the  operation  of  Paragraph  1  of  his  Order,  and  especially 
in  the  towns  of  Independence,  Westport  and  Kansas  City. 

"4.  Paragraph  3,  General  Orders  No.  10,  is  revoked  as  to  all 
who  have  borne  arms  against  the  Government  in  this  district  since 
the  20th  day  of  August,  1863. 

"By  order  of  Brigadier-General  Ewing. 

"H.  HANNAHS,  Adjutant." 

The  devastation  of  Jackson  County  under  the  above 
order  has  been  denounced  as  one  of  the  most  cruel  and 


And  Their  Fulfillment  187 

unsparing  incidents  of  the  Civil  War.  The  driving  and 
herding  of  women  and  children  from  their  burning 
homes,  the  destruction  of  barrs,  fences,  stacks  and  fields 
of  hay  and  grain,  and  the  tramping  and  treading  under 
foot  of  armed  men  and  horses  of  almost  every  acre  within 
the  borders  of  the  county,  left  it  desolate,  forbidding,  a 
spectacle  to  wring  tears  from  the  eyes  of  the  pitying,  and 
agony  from  the  hearts  of  those  despoiled.  Nothing  like 
it  had  been  seen  since  the  expulsion  of  the  "Mormons" 
from  the  same  county,  in  1833. 


I  had  the  pleasure,  in  the  early  part  of  this  year 
[1902]  to  meet  Hon.  Leonidas  M.  Lawson,  of  New  York 
City,  formerly  a  resident  of  Clay  County,  Missouri.  Mr. 
Lawson  is  a  brother-in-law  of  General  Doniphan,  and, 
one  night,  in  the  beautiful  University  Club,  a  night  I 
shall  long  remember,  he  recounted  to  me  many  parts  of 
the  story  here  related.  He  said  that  his  father  had  told 
him  in  his  youth  of  the  inhumanity  of  the  Missourians' 
treatment  of  the  "Mormon"  people,  and  then  he  told  me 
of  his  own  visit  to  General  Doniphan,  in  1863;  of  their 
riding  over  Jackson  County  together,  and  of  the  incidents 
related  in  the  following  letter,  which  I  requested  him  to 
write.  Mr.  Lawson  is  a  man  standing  high  in  his  profes- 
sion, a  lawyer  of  great  ability,  an  orator  known  in  Mis- 
souri, New  York,  and  London,  a  man  of  world-wide 
travel  and  information,  whose  observations  upon  affairs 
and  men  are  of  recognized  weight  and  value  in  the  cos- 
mopolitan circle  of  his  acquaintance.  It  was  a  pleasure 
to  hear  him,  without  prejudice  for  or  against  the  "Mor- 
mons," narrate  eloquently  the  circumstances  which  he 
has  so  briefly,  but  pointedly,  set  down  in  this  communi- 
cation : 

"New  York  City,  February  7,  1902. 
"Mr.  Junius  F.  Wells,  New  York. 

"Mr  DEAR  SIR: — Responding  to  your  request  for  a  statement 
concerning  the  devastation  of  Jackson  County,  Mo.,  permit  me 
to  say: 


188  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

"I  am  preparing  a  biographical  sketch  of  General  Alexander  W. 
Doniphan.  It  will  be  remembered  that  General  Doniphan  com- 
manded the  famous  expedition,  which  during  the  Mexican  War, 
marched  from  Fort  Leavenworth  to  Santa  Fe,  and  thence  to  Chi- 
huahua, fighting  en  route  the  Battle  of  Bracito  and  the  Battle  of 
Sacramento;  in  this  latter  engagement  his  little  army  of  1000 
Missourians  was  opposed  by  a  Mexican  army  4000  strong.  In  the 
biography  occurs  the  following  interesting  passage: 

"In  the  year  1863,  I  visited  General  A.  W.  Doniphan  at  his 
home  in  Jackson  County,  Mo.  This  was  soon  after  the  devastation 
of  Jackson  County,  Mo.,  under  what  is  known  as  "Order  No. 
11."  This  devastation  was  complete.  Farms  were  everywhere  de- 
stroyed, and  the  farm  houses  were  burned.  During  this  visit 
General  Doniphan  related  the  following  historical  facts  and  per- 
sonal incidents: 

"  'About  the  year  1831-2,  the  Mormons  settled  in  Jackson 
County,  Mo.,  under  the  leadership  of  Joseph  Smith.  The  people 
of  Jackson  County  became  dissatisfied  with  their  presence,  and 
forced  them  to  leave;  and  they  crossed  the  Missouri  River  and 
settled  in  the  counties  of  DeKalb,  Caldwell,  and  Ray.  They 
founded  the  town  of  Far  West,  and  began  to  prepare  the  founda- 
tion of  a  Temple.  It  was  here  that  the  trouble  arose  which  cul- 
minated in  the  expulsion  of  the  Mormons  from  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri, according  to  the  command  of  Governor  Lilburn  W.  Boggs. 
This  was  known  in  Missouri  annals  as  the  Mormon  War.  There 
were  many  among  those  who  obeyed  the  order  of  the  Governor,  in 
the  State  Militia,  who  believed  that  the  movement  against  the 
Mormons  was  unjust  and  cruel,  and  that  the  excitement  was  kept 
up  by  those  who  coveted  the  homes,  the  barns  and  the  fields  of 
the  Mormon  people.  The  latter,  during  their  residence  in  the 
State  of  Missouri,  paid,  in  entry  fees  for  the  land  they  claimed, 
to  the  U.  S.  Government  Land  Office,  more  than  $300,000.00, 
which  for  that  period  represented  a  tremendous  interest.  During 
their  sojourn  in  Missouri  the  Mormons  did  not  practice  or  teach 
polygamy,  so  that  question  did  not  enter  into  it. 

"  'Following  the  early  excitement,  Joseph  Smith  was  indicted  for 
treason  against  the  State  of  Missouri,  and  General  Doniphan  was 
one  of  the  counsel  employed  to  defend  him,  he  having  shown  a 
friendly  interest  in  Smith,  whom  he  considered  very  badly  treated. 
Joseph  Smith  was  placed  in  prison  in  Liberty,  Missouri,  to  await 
his  trial.  This  place  was  the  residence  of  General  Doniphan.  His 
partner  in  the  practice  of  law  was  James  H.  Baldwin. 

"  'On  one  occasion  General  Doniphan  caused  the  sheriff  of  the 
county  to  bring  Joseph  Smith  from  the  prison  to  his  law  office, 
for  the  purpose  of  consultation  about  his  defense.  During  Smith's 


And  Their  Fulfillment  189 

presence  in  the  office,  a  resident  of  Jackson  County,  Missouri, 
came  in  for  the  purpose  of  paying  a  fee  which  was  due  by  him  to 
the  firm  of  Doniphan  and  Baldwin,  and  offered  in  payment  a 
tract  of  land  in  Jackson  County. 

"  'Doniphan  told  him  that  his  parner,  Mr.  Baldwin,  was  almost 
at  the  moment,  but  as  soon  as  he  had  an  opportunity  he  would 
consult  him  and  decide  about  the  matter.  When  the  Jackson 
County  man  retired,  Joseph  Smith,  who  had  overheard  the  con- 
versation, addressed  General  Doniphan  about  as  follows: 

"  'Doniphan,  I  advise  you  not  to  take  that  Jackson  County  land 
in  payment  of  the  debt.  God's  wrath  hangs  over  Jackson  County. 
God's  people  have  been  ruthlessly  driven  from  it,  and  you  will 
live  to  see  the  day  when  it  will  be  visited  by  fire  and  sword.  The 
Lord  of  Hosts  will  sweep  it  with  the  besom  of  destruction.  The 
fields  and  farms  and  houses  will  be  destroyed,  and  only  the  chim- 
neys will  be  left  to  mark  the  desolation' 

"General  Doniphan  said  to  me  that  the  devastation  of  Jackson 
County  forcibly  reminded  him  of  this  remarkable  prediction  of  the 
Mormon  prophet. 

"Yours  sincerely, 

"L.  M.  LAWSON." 

There  is  a  prediction  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  not  before 
put  into  print,  and  history  has  recorded  its  complete  ful- 
fillment. 

As  a  remarkable  evidence  of  its  literal  and  exact  ful- 
fillment, I  add  the  following  self-explanatory  and  inter- 
esting letter  from  Judge  A.  Saxey,  written  in  reply  to  a 
request  for  information  upon  the  subject,  and  call  atten- 
tion to  his  use  of  the  almost  exact  words  of  Joseph's 
prophecy,  though  so  far  as  I  know,  he  has  not  even  heard 
that  such  a  prediction  was  ever  made: 

"Spanish  Fork,  Utah,  August  25,  1902." 
"Mr.  Junius  F.  Wells,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 

"DEAR  SIR: — Yours  of  August  22nd  received.  I  hardly  know 
how  to  write  in  a  letter  concerning  the  subject  you  inquire  about. 
However,  I  will  give  you  a  little  of  what  I  know,  and  if  you  can 
use  it,  all  right. 

"I  enlisted  in  a  Kansas  regiment  in  1861.  During  the  winter  of 
1861  and  '62,  my  regiment  was  stationed  at  Kansas  City,  and  we 
were  around  in  Jackson  County  a  great  deal  during  the  winter. 
Quantrill  was  operating  in  that  .locality,  and  we  were  trying  to 


190  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

catch  him.  At  one  time,  we  surrounded  Independence,  and  arrested 
everyone  in  the  town.  I  can  testify  that  Jackson  County  contained 
more  contemptible,  mean,  devilish  rebels  than  any  I  came  across 
in  an  experience  of  four  years.  I  had  quite  a  talk  with  a  man  I 
arrested  who  lived  on  the  Blue  River,  and  who  was  there  when  the 
Saints  were  driven  out,  but  that,  I  suppose,  would  be  somewhat 
foreign  to  your  inquiry. 

"In  the  spring  of  1862,  my  regiment  went  south,  and  it  was  dur- 
ing that  time  that  "Order  No.  11"  was  issued,  but  I  was  back  there 
again  in  1864,  during  the  Price  raid,  and  saw  the  condition  of  the 
country.  The  duty  of  executing  the  order  was  committed  to  Col. 
W.  R.  Penick's  regiment,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  car- 
ried it  into  effect,  from  the  howl  the  Copperhead  papers  made  at 
the  time.  I  went  down  the  Blue  River.  We  found  houses,  barns, 
outbuildings,  nearly  all  burned  down,  and  nothing  left  standing 
but  the  chimneys,  which  had.  according  to  the  fashion  of  the  time, 
been  built  on  the  outside  of  the  buildings.  I  remember  very 
well  that  the  county  looked  a  veritable  desolation. 

"I  do  not  know  that  what  I  have  written  will  do  you  any  good, 
if  it  will,  you  are  welcome.  Of  course,  I  could  tell  a  great  deal 
more  than  I  can  write  in  a  letter. 

"Respectfully, 

"A.  SAXEY." 


And  Their  Fulfillment  191 


Conclusion 

Was  Joseph  Smith  a  Prophet  of  God?  Did  he  foretell 
things  "beyond  the  power  of  human  sagacity  to  discern 
or  to  calculate?"  Has  the  "gift"  of  prophecy  been  exer- 
cised by  the  Priesthood  in  this  dispensation  as  it  was  in 
former  gospel  dispensations?  Precisely.  The  opening 
events  of  this  dispensation  were  linked  with  prophecies 
lo  the  effect  that  Joseph  Smith's  name  should  be  evilly 
spoken  of  in  all  the  world.  An  obscure  boy  is  projected 
upon  the  screen  of  the  world's  great,  unending  drama; 
his  cause  thrives  upon  opposition  and  persecution;  his 
martyrdom  glorifies  his  mission,  and  after  the  lapse  of 
a  century  his  name  is  "had  for  good  and  evil  among  all 
nations."  He  is  told  that  the  "Lord  is  about  to  perform 
a  marvelous  work  and  a  wonder."  His  followers  are 
driven  from  county  to  county,  and  from  state  to  state, 
and  finally  from  the  national  confines.  They  establish 
an  abiding  place  of  their  own  in  a  land  far  from  the 
haunts  of  men.  The  currents  of  human  enterprise  follow 
them.  Conflict  again  arises;  they  are  opposed;  they  are 
hated;  they  are  persecuted  and  imprisoned;  they  are 
disfranchised;  they  are  escheated  of  their  property;  they 
are  unchurched.  The  storm  subsides;  yielding  with  honor 
is  followed  by  *econcilement;  peace  and  amity  prevail; 
good  will  and  golden  friendships  obtain;  wrongs  are 
adjusted;  restitutions  are  made;  forbearance  and  charity 
pave  the  way  to  brotherhood  and  growth  and  power 
come  to  them.  Their  sacrifices  are  compensated;  their 
hopes  are  realized;  their  motives  are  understood  and  the 
thing  called  "Murmomsm"  succeeds.  It  succeeds  socially 
industrially,  intellectually,  and,  above  all,  spiritually. 
"Mormonism"  is  a  success. 


192  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

The  prophecies  considered  in  this  little  volume  have 
been  fulfilled.  Their  authorship  is  established;  their 
genuineness  cannot  be  questioned.  These  "Mormon" 
teachers,  preachers,  writers  and  historians  have  told  the 
truth.  And  now,  after  the  unfoldments  of  a  century,  the 
divine  purposes  have  come  to  open  view  so  that  all  who 
will  may  see  the  words  of  God  verified.  The  historian 
Bancroft,  in  1891,  said:  "The  Church  records  are  truth- 
ful and  reliable."  In  the  publication  of  their  records  the 
Latter-day  Saints  have  displayed  their  sublime  faith  and 
fearlessness.  They  have  nothing  to  conceal,  but  every- 
thing to  give.  Such  are  the  characteristics  of  honesty. 
And  what  a  bounteous  harvest  has  the  century  brought 
forth  as  vindication  of  their  faith  in  the  Almighty  who 
has  been  their  shield  and  source  of  light.  That  He  and 
they  might  stand  justified  before  the  world,  behold  their 
prophet's  words  fulfilled  though  ambitious  men  are 
brought  to  the  dust  in  humiliation  and  ruin;  empires  rise 
where  desolation  reigned;  nations  are  bathed  in  blood, 
and  a  world  mourns  and  groans  under  the  burden  of  its 
woes;  nations  irresistibly  pursue  the  course  pointed  out 
for  them  by  the  finger  of  God ;  ancient  and  dread  powers 
are  broken  down  and  abased;  the  haughty  and  the  proud 
are  brought  low  that  the  oppressed  and  down-trodden 
might  be  let  free  and  become  exalted.  These  great  and 
overpowering  events  have  transpired,  contrary  to  the  judg- 
ment of  men,  but  in  fulfillment  of  God's  never-failing 
word.  So  that  the  first  century  of  "Mormonism,"  preg- 
nant with  mighty  events  as  no  other  century  has  been, 
proclaims  as  with  the  voice  of  thunder  and  war,  as  with 
the  pall  of  scourge  and  pestilence,  as  with  the  hum  and 
music  of  happy  nations  thriving  in  prosperity,  and  as 
with  the  majesty  of  a  great  spiritual  triumph,  JOSEPH 
SMITH  A  PROPHET  OF  GOD. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  193 


APPENDIX 


Prayer  of  Orson  Hyde  on  the  Mount 
of  Olives 

The  following  is  copied  from  the  Millennial  Star, 
Vol.  19,  1856,  Liverpool.  It  is  a  part  of  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  Parley  P.  Pratt,  in  England,  and  was  written 
by  Orson  Hyde,  November  22,  1841,  at  Alexandria: 

"On  Sunday  morning,  October  24  a  good  while  be- 
fore day,  I  arose  from  sleep,  and  went  out  of  the  city 
as  soon  as  the  gates  were  opened,  crossed  the  brook 
Kedron,  and  went  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  there 
in  solemn  silence,  with  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  just  as  I 
saw  in  the  vision,  offered  up  the  following  prayer  to 
Him  who  lives  forever  and  ever: 

"0,  thou!  who  art  from  everlasting  to  everlasting, 
eternally  and  unchangeably  the  same,  even  the  God  who 
rules  the  heavens  above,  and  controls  the  destinies  of 
men  on  the  earth,  wilt  thou  not  condescend,  through 
thine  infinite  goodness  and  royal  favor,  to  listen  to  the 
prayer  of  thy  servant  which  he  this  day  offers  up  unto 
thee  in  the  name  of  thy  holy  child  Jesus,  upon  this  land, 
where  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  set  in  blood,  and  thine 
Anointed  One  expired. 

"Be  pleased,  0  Lord,  to  forgive  all  the  follies,  weak- 
nesses, vanities,  and  sins  of  thy  servant,  and  strengthen 
him  to  resist  all  future  temptations.  Give  him  prudence 
and  discernment  that  he  may  avoid  the  evil,  and  a  heart 

14 


194  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

to  choose  the  good;  give  him  fortitude  to  bear  up  under 
all  things  for  thy  name's  sake,  until  the  end  shall  come, 
when  all  the  saints  shall  rest  in  peace. 

"Now,  0  Lord!  Thy  servant  has  been  obedient  to  the 
heavenly  vision  which  thou  gavest  him  in  his  native  land; 
and  under  the  shadow  of  thine  outstretched  arm,  he  has 
safely  arrived  in  this  place  to  dedicate  and  consecrate 
this  land  unto  thee,  for  the  gathering  together  of  Judah's 
scattered  remnants,  according  to  the  prediction  of  the 
holy  prophets — for  the  building  up  of  Jerusalem  again 
after  it  has  been  trodden  down  by  the  Gentiles  so  long, 
and  for  rearing  a  temple  in  honor  of  thy  name.  Ever- 
lasting thanks  be  ascribed  unto  thee,  0  Father,  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  that  thou  hast  preserved  thy  servant 
from  the  dangers  of  the  seas,  and  from  the  plague  and 
pestilence  which  have  caused  the  land  to  mourn.  The 
violence  of  man  has  been  restrained,  and  thy  providential 
care  by  night  and  by  day  has  been  exercised  over  thine 
unworthy  servant.  Accept,  therefore,  0  Lord,  the  tribute 
of  a  grateful  heart  for  all  past  favors,  and  be  pleased 
to  continue  thy  kindness  and  mercy  towards  a  needy 
worm  of  the  dust. 

"0  thou,  who  didst  covenant  with  Abraham,  thy 
friend,  and  who  didst  renew  that  covenant  with  Isaac,  and 
confirm  the  same  with  Jacob  with  an  oath,  that  thou 
wouldst  not  only  give  them  this  land  for  an  everlasting 
inheritance,  but  that  thou  wouldst  remember  their  seed 
forever.  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  have  long  since 
closed  their  eyes  in  death,  and  made  the  grave  their 
mansion.  Their  children  are  scattered  and  dispersed 
abroad  among  the  nations  of  the  Gentiles  like  sheep  that 
have  no  shepherd,  and  are  still  looking  forward  for  the 
fulfillment  of  those  promises  which  thou  didst  make  con- 
cernirg  them;  and  even  this  land,  which  once  poured 


And  Their  Fulfillment  195 

forth  nature's  richest  bounty,  and  flowed,  as  it  were, 
with  milk  and  honey,  has,  to  a  certain  extent,  been 
smitten  with  barrenness  and  sterility  since  it  drank  from 
murderous  hands  the  blood  of  Him  who  never  sinned. 

"Grant,  therefore,  0  Lord,  in  the  name  of  thy  well- 
beloved  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  to  remove  the  barrenness  and 
sterility  of  this  land,  and  let  springs  of  living  water  break 
forth  to  water  the  thirsty  soil.  Let  the  vine  and  olive 
produce  in  their  strength,  and  the  fig-tree  bloom  and 
flourish.  Let  the  land  become  abundantly  fruitful  when 
possessed  by  its  rightful  heirs;  let  it  again  flow  with 
plenty  to  feed  the  returning  prodigals  who  come  home 
with  a  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication;  upon  it  let  the 
clouds  distil  virtue  and  richness,  and  let  the  fields  smile 
with  plenty.  Let  the  flocks  and  the  herds  greatly  in- 
crease and  multiply  upon  the  mountains  and  the  hills; 
let  thy  great  kindness  conquer  and  subdue  the  unbelief 
of  thy  people.  Do  thou  take  from  them  their  stony  heart 
and  give  them  a  heart  of  flesh,  and  may  the  Sun  of  thy 
favor  dispel  the  mists  of  darkness  which  have  beclouded 
their  atmosphere.  Incline  them  to  gather  in  upon  this 
land  according  to  thy  word.  Let  them  come  like  clouds 
and  like  doves  to  their  windows.  Let  the  large  ships 
of  the  nations  bring  them  from  the  distant  isles;  and 
let  kings  become  their  nursing  fathers  and  queens  with 
motherly  fondness  wipe  the  tear  of  sorrow  from  their 
eye. 

"Thou,  0  Lord,  did  once  move  upon  the  heart  of 
Cyrus  to  show  favor  unto  Jerusalem  and  her  children. 
Do  thou  also  be  pleased  to  inspire  the  hearts  of  kings 
and  the  powers  of  the  earth  to  look  with  a  friendly 
eye  toward  this  place,  and  with  a  desire  to  see  thy  right- 
eous purposes  executed  in  relation  thereto.  Let  them 
know  that  it  is  thy  good  pleasure  to  restore  the  kingdom 


196  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

unto  Israel — raise  up  Jerusalem  as  its  capital,  and  con- 
stitute her  people  a  distinct  nation  and  government, 
with  David  thy  servant,  even  a  descendant  from  the  loins 
of  ancient  David  to  be  their  king. 

"Let  that  nation  or  that  people  who  shall  take  an 
active  part  in  the  behalf  of  Abraham's  children,  and 
in  the  raising  up  of  Jerusalem,  find  favor  in  thy  sight. 
Let  not  their  enemies  prevail  against  them,  neither  let 
pestilence  or  famine  overcome  them,  but  let  the  glory 
of  Israel  over-shadow  them,  and  the  power  of  the  high- 
est protect  them;  while  that  nation  or  kingdom  that  will 
not  serve  thee  in  this  glorious  work  must  perish,  accord- 
ing to  thy  word:  'Yea,  those  nations  shall  be  utterly 
wasted.91 

"Though  thy  servant  is  far  from  his  home,  and  from 
the  land  bedewed  with  his  earliest  tears,  yet  he  re- 
members, 0  Lord,  his  friends  who  are  there,  and  fam- 
ily, whom  for  thy  sake  he  has  left.  Though  poverty  and 
privation  be  our  earthly  lot,  yet,  ah!  do  thou  richly  en- 
dow us  with  an  inheritance  where  moth  and  rust  do  not 
corrupt,  and  where  theives  do  not  break  through  and 
steal. 

"The  hands  that  have  fed,  clothed,  or  shown  favor  un- 
to the  family  of  thy  servant  in  his  absence,  or  that  shall 
hereafter  do  so,  let  them  not  lose  their  reward,  but  let 
a  special  blessing  rest  upon  them,  and  in  thy  kingdom 


iSee  Isaiah,-  6th  chapter. 

We  cannot  let  this  paragraph  pass  without  making  the  obser- 
vation which  recent  events  in  the  Holy  Land  cause  to  arise  in  our 
mind.  Compare  the  relative  condition  of  Great  Britain  and  that 
of  Germany  and  Turkey  at  the  termination  of  the  World  War. 
Also  bear  in  mind  the  hostility  of  the  two  latter  kingdoms  with 
respect  to  the  restoration  of  Palestine  to  the  descendants  of  David, 
and  in  striking  contrast  witness  the  friendship  before,  and^  partic- 
ularly since,  exhibited  by  the  British  with  respect  to  the  "raising 
up  of  Jerusalem"  for  the  benefit  of  the  Jews. 


And  Their  Fulfillment  197 

let  them  have  an  inheritance  when  thou  shalt  come  to 
be  glorified  in  this  society. 

"Do  thou  look  with  favor  upon  all  those  through 
whose  liberality  I  have  been  enabled  to  come  to  this 
land;  and  in  the  day  when  thou  shalt  reward  all  people 
according  to  their  works,  let  these  also  not  be  passed 
by  or  forgotten,  but  in  time  let  them  be  in  readiness  to 
enjoy  the  glory  of  those  mansions  which  Jesus  has  gone 
to  prepare.  Particularly  do  thou  bless  the  stranger  in 
Philadelphia,  whom  I  never  saw,  but  who  sent  me  gold, 
with  a  request  that  I  should  pray  for  him  in  Jerusalem. 
Now,  0  Lord,  let  blessings  come  upon  him  from  an  un- 
expected quarter,  and  let  his  basket  be  filled,  and  his 
store-house  be  filled  with  plenty,  and  let  not  the  good 
things  of  the  earth  be  his  only  portion,  but  let  him  be 
found  among  those  to  whom  it  shall  be  said,  'Thou  hast 
been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  and  I  will  make  the 
ruler  over  many.' 

"0  my  Father  in  heaven!  I  now  ask  thee  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  to  remember  Zion  with  all  her  stakes,  and  with 
all  her  assemblies.  She  has  been  greviously  afflicted 
and  smitten;  she  has  mourned;  she  has  wept;  her  en- 
emies have  triumphed,  and  have  said,  'Ah,  where  is  thy 
God?'  Her  priests  and  prophets  have  groaned  in  chains 
and  fetters  within  the  gloomy  walls  of  prisons,  while 
many  were  slain,  and  now  sleep  in  the  arms  of  death. 
How  long,  0  Lord,  shall  iniquity  triumph,  and  sin  go 
unpunished? 

"Do  thou  arise  in  the  majesty  of  thy  strength,  and 
make  bare  thine  arm  in  behalf  of  thy  people.  Redress 
their  wrongs,  and  turn  their  sorrow  into  joy.  Pour 
the  spirit  of  light  and  knowledge,  grace  and  wisdom,  in- 
to the  hearts  of  her  prophets,  and  clothe  her  priests  with 
salvation.  Let  light  and  knowledge  march  forth  through 


198  Prophecies  of  Joseph  Smith 

the  empire  of  darkness,  and  may  the  honest  in  heart 
flow  to  their  standard,  and  join  in  the  march  to  go  forth 
to  meet  the  bridegroom. 

"Let  a  peculiar  blessing  rest  upon  the  presidency  of 
thy  Church,  for  at  them  are  the  arrows  of  the  enemy 
directed.  Be  thou  to  them  a  sun  and  a  shield,  their 
strong  tower  and  hiding  place;  and  in  the  time  of  dis- 
tress or  danger  be  thou  near  to  deliver.  Also  the  quor- 
um of  the  Twelve,  do  thou  be  pleased  to  stand  by  them 
for  thou  knowest  the  obstacles  which  they  have  to  en- 
counter, the  temptations  to  which  they  are  exposed,  and 
the  privations  which  they  must  suffer.  Give  us,  [the 
Twelve]  therefore,  strength  according  to  our  day,  and 
help  us  to  bear  a  faithful  testimony  of  Jesus  and  his 
Gospel,  to  finish  with  fidedlity  and  honor  the  work  which 
thou  hast  given  us  to  do,  and  then  give  us  a  place  in  thy 
glorious  kingdom.  And  let  this  blessing  rest  upon  every 
faithful  officer  and  member  in  thy  Church.  And  all  the 
glory  and  honor  we  will  ascribe  unto  God  and  the  lamb 
forever  and  forever.  Amen." 


THEATRE  BOOK  SHaP 

!  OLD.  HARP  A  Kin  ycurann    - 


